Decanter with stopper
Manufacturer
Unknown
CultureAnglo-Irish
Dateca. 1840-1850
MediumBlown and cut glass
DimensionsOverall: 10 7/8 in. (27.6 cm)
Overall, Rim: 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm)
Base: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Overall, Rim: 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm)
Base: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
InscribedMarked with a "2" in diamond point-on rim of decanter and shoulder of stopper.
Credit LineBequest of Miss Martha B. Moreland
Object number55.15.1
Not on view
DescriptionDecanter and stopper. DECANTER: Quart decanter of blown and cut flint glass. Three ring neck. Eleven broad flutes, top and bottom (flutes at the bottom are separated by narrow vertical cuts). Eleven punties on midsection of body. Star bottom with thirty-two rays extending to the edge. Minor flakes and roughage on body of decanter. Two large flakes on bottom. STOPPER: Matching stopper mirrors bottom with sixteen rays, a band of eight flutes, and a faceted knop.Label TextGLASS FOR EVERY TASTE AND CLASS This case shows decanters and pitchers in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and decorations available over the period of Queen Victoria's reign, 1837-1901. Manufacturers made an eclectic assortment of household items to suit every customer's taste and income. Cut and engraved glass decanters were more expensive than those blown in molds or made by pressing technology. Vessels with fanciful applied decorations such as ruffles or multicolored threads also were much more costly. The Victorian table setting was an important indicator of social status. Elaborate dinners frequently included one or more wines and cordials, each requiring its own special glass. Since water was a suitable alternative to wine at the dinner table, ice-water pitchers were made with the same elaborate flourishes as the most expensive wine decanters. Guests would judge their hosts' standing by the food and beverages on the menu as well as its presentation-from the rarity of fruits served at dessert to the quality of the compote displaying them. English Decanter with Stopper, ca. 1840-50 Blown and cut glass Bequest of Miss Martha B. Moreland 55.15.1 Exhibition History"Cheers to Queen Victoria: British Glass from the Chrysler Collection," Waitzer Community Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 22, 2010 - March 20, 2011.Published ReferencesWakefield, 19TH CENTURY BRITISH, figs. 14 & 20, illustrate decanters with similar stoppers.
