Steve/sewell
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Joined: 1/23/2010
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I picked these up two years ago on an ebay live auction from England.I paid thirty dollars for the two thinking they were old German half post bottles which I love as some of you are awhere and was quite content with their condition.One day my wife who despises my hobby but only likes some of the finer table ware I collect was cleaning one of my display cabinets which housed these two bottles.After washing them in soap and water she placed them on the window sill to dry.
Later that same day she was doing dishes again and looked up at the window because a Humming bird was drinking water out of a large flowering Canna plant which can grow to 7 feet in height in front of the kitchen sink window.The sunlight was now passing through the window directly in her line of sight.I heard my wife yell OH MY GOD come look at these bottles.Well I dont know about you but OH MY GOD and recently disturbed bottles dont mix to well in my book!! I thought the worse and said what happened ,what broke how come, coudnt you be more carefull,Why did you have to clean my bottles you hate.She said NOTHING IS BROKEN but come look at this.The two dencanturs had ghostly images precise in nature and nearly identicle engraved on each bottle.You can only see this when holding the bottles a certain way near very intense direct light.
At first glance the square half post blown decanturs seem like any other ordinary liquor drinking vessels from the Georgian period in England.But give them a dark back ground some bright light and a ghostly image is seen on the inside of the glass not the surface .This was acheived by blowing a second gather of glass (the half post ) method talked about frequently by members here at the forum.The color is clear on each decantur but they have a very pale grayish green cast in the thicker parts of the bottle.
How the glass artisan acheived this is the following:
First a bottle square but thin in nature is blown and a rolled lip similar to early colonial American chestnuts had theirs made.Once the bottle has cooled to touch an engraver with marvelous precise talent went to work and engraved a beautifull crown at the top shoulder area of the bottle.Next under that is a Large letter G with the Roman numerals III (meaning George the third).On the outside of G III on each side of the bottle are large floral sprays starting at the bottom and traveling up two thirds of the bottle height.There is a large ground pontil and plenty of base wear on each decantur.I have done some research and these bottles are quite rare and very valuable.Here they are with with the best I could do taking photos of them.The two glasses are just old flint glass English Tasters.They are period to these decanturs.First for those unfamilar with what Cannas are here is a picture of one variety similar to what we replant every year.You must dig out the bulbs in the more Northern parts of the United States and Canda or the bulbs will deep freeze and rot
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A pair of mid to late 1700's English Decanturs - 
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