Decanter

Name/Title

Decanter

Entry/Object ID

1972.297.1 A-B

Description

Glass decanter with stopper. It has a ring foot, a bulbous reservoir, a narrow paneled neck, and a hollow blown stopper in urn form. The pontil is polished. It was decorated by etching with acid the grape vine design around the body and 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

Time Period

19th Century

Dimensions

Height

14 in

Circumference

18 in

Material

Glass