Topic: Help with pair of square decanters

[WhatHo!]

Hi, I help the Help for Heroes charity and try to identify and price glassware for them. can anybody help me with these decanters. They have snapped pontil, obviously mould blown and the body and neck are made in 2 separate pieces. The shoulders of them have small cut lens and paper labels with old looking writing on them. also should there be stoppers or corks, there is no grinding in the neck. Sorry about the quality of pic as i used my camera phone. Thank you very much, Wolfie

[Lustrousstone]

I think they are bottles rather than decanters and possibly from the pub trade. You might have better luck on a bottle site.

[Ivo]

storage jars or cellars, these can be stored efficiently. Made in half=post, which makes sense. My guess 19th ct. but do not ask for details.

[WhatHo!]

Hi, thanks for your comments. I have looked through Jeanette Hayhursts buyers guide and a lot of the bottles look very similar to decanters. There are lots of small lens cuts in patterns around the neck which suggest decoration. I will try and get some better pics. Does any one else have any idea about these either age or where they were made? i thought they might be Irish? thanks for any help, Wolfie

[oldglassman]

Hi ,
       I don't think Ireland adopted the half post method of construction for either decanters or bottles , I know these types as Case flasks and have seen them in simple boxes of 4 or 6 ,whether for travel or storage i don't know , they normally have a cork bung with a metal top with a ring to pull,and I would think these date from the early 19thc and made in continental Europe , Germany , Bohemia , Holland, and probably elsewere too ,I have also heard them called Gin flasks.

cheers ,
             Peter

[WhatHo!]

Hi Peter, that is very helpful, thank you. Out of interest what is the 'half post method of construction'? Wolfie

[oldglassman]

Without checking the facts , methinks its , the body is blown separately from the neck and rim , the body once transfered to the punty rod on the base,the neck is pressed into the top of the body , probably not quite as simple as that but the general idea I think , please feel free to correct anyone !!

cheers ,
              Peter.

[KevinH]

Half-post ... item dipped a second time to create a thicker lower section than at the upper part.

The bottles shown here would have been covered again right up to the neck. (As per the definition in Ivo's glass fact file a-z.)

According to Newman, An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass, the term meant that the piece was dipped into the pot only halfway up the body, as per some US bottles known as Pitkin Flasks. And "half-post" meant "covered halfway up the gather (or 'post')".

[glassobsessed]

Partially cased is another way the process could be described and it leaves little room for the odd notion of making separate sections and then fusing them together (a bizarre concept for an object such as this - way to much work).

John

[oldglassman]

Hi Folks ,
                  I stand corrected ,and many thanks , I had thought my idea may be wrong , based on 1/2 reading an American book 1/2 a lifetime ago which referred to 'inserted necks' on flasks and bottles,methinks from now on I should stick to the objects I know about ,those that I can drink from  :wsh:

Having said that , could someone please tell me ,if these are what i now understand to be 1 piece objects and not as I thought 2 pieces , with the neck being added , why the use of the punty , leaving its scar on the base, was this just so that the neck and rim could be given it's final shape and finished off , or is there another reason i don't know of,

Many thanks again for the correction ,this oldglassman has certainly learned something new today .

cheers ,
             Peter.