Decanter

Name/Title

Decanter

Entry/Object ID

1970.151.1 A-B

Description

English leaded glass sherry decanter. It has a polished ring foot and a bulbous base with lower panel cuts. The neck is also cut in panels, as is the hollow stopper.

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 1850

Dimensions

Height

12 in

Diameter

5-1/2 in

Material

Glass