Case Bottles

Date1780-1820

MediumMold-blown and engraved colorless non-lead glass

DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth of each bottle): 10 x 4 3/4 x 3 1/4in. (25.4 x 12.1 x 8.3cm)

ClassificationsGlassware

Credit LineBequest of George Dudley Seymour

Object number1945.1.1191-.1192

DescriptionPair of mold-blown and engraved colorless non-lead glass case bottles, each with a flared rim, a short cylindrical neck, a sloping shoulder, a rectangular body, and a shallow kick with a pontil mark on the bottom. There is a ridge of glass surrounding the neck, formed by a second gather of glass added to the body of each case bottle using a technique known as the half-post method. The shoulders and sides of each case bottle are decorated with engraving. A rectangular border of leaves on either side of a vine follows the shape of the shoulders; there is a small medallion hanging down at each corner and a small leafy-stem pointing toward the neck at each corner. An engraved circle interrupts the border in the center of each side of the shoulder. The two wider sides of each case bottle are decorated with a leafy stem supporting a stylized tulip. The two narrower sides of each case bottle are decorated with a leafy stem supporting three smaller flowers on the right side. There are some small bubbles and seeds, or areas of unvitrified matter, in the glass. Each case bottle has a small area of light scratches and wear in the surface of the glass at the corners on the bottom.

Kick: An indentation in the bottom of a drinking glass, bottle, or other glass object.
Pontil mark: A rough place on a blown glass object where the solid metal rod, or pontil, is cracked off the object after final shaping and decoration. Pontil marks can be polished to achieve a smooth surface.

NotesObject Note: These case bottles were intended for use while traveling. They were part of a larger, matching group of bottles stored in a case. (Hunt 3/23/2005)

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