Decanter

Name/Title

Decanter

Entry/Object ID

1972.265.1 A-B

Description

Decanter made of leaded glass. It has a minor ring foot and a squat, spherical reservoir. Its design was created using acid to etch the tassel and drape design around the wide solid upper band. There is also a minor oval bead lower band. The neck was cut in an elongated thumb print pattern. The hollow stopper has a matching acid-etched design as the body.

Use

Decanters are used to store and serve alcohol. Popular drinks in the late 1700s included madeira, port, whiskey, cider, and rum-based punch mixtures. Wealthier individuals often had their own distilleries and wineries on their properties which were operated by enslaved labor. Alcohol consumption was common at all meals, including breakfast, and the average person consumed over three-and-a-half gallons of alcohol per year.

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1875 - circa 1899

Dimensions

Height

12-1/2 in

Circumference

19 in

Material

Glass