Decanter

Name/Title

Decanter

Entry/Object ID

1972.225.1 A-B

Description

Red decanter with stopper. The red color was brushed over the clear glass. It features a cut and acid-etched design of grape leaves and clusters. The flat-button stopper also is adorned with an acid-etched leaf design. The decanter rests on a minor ring foot.

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 1880

Dimensions

Height

8-1/2 in

Diameter

3-3/4 in

Circumference

14-1/2 in

Material

Glass