What is the size / capacity of that beauty? Here's that old controversy rearing it's ugly head, I would have called that a "Carboy" based on its apparent size but it is clearly marked as a "Demijohn". What is the difference between a Demijohn and a carboy? I really like that piece, has lifting handles, clearly meant to leave in it's container / box.
The terms demijohn and carboy were often used interchangeably. The distinction seems to be one of function more than form. A poem in The Port-Folio April 30, 1803 speaks of "Carboys Of Vitriolic Acid, For Old Bachelors" while theThe Emporium of Arts & Sciences Philadelphia September 1, 1812 relates a story on ‘The Ignition of a Carboy of Aqua Fortis’ which burst into flame. When the burnt remains were examined, the writer referred to “...the remains of the straw and basket.†So like demijohns, carboys were wicker encased bottles. The two terms are differentiated only by their contents. Demijohns were for potable and non-corrosive liquids. Literature references to the word ‘Carboy’ indicate carboy contents to be strong chemicals - mostly acids:Saturday Evening Post Oct 13, 1821 mention of 50 carboys of Oil Vitriol and 10 carboys of Aqua fortis. Oil of Vitriol was sulfuric acid and Aqua fortis was nitric acid. One other reference was found to a carboy of muriatic acid (1833) now known as hydrochloric acid. Today manufacturers still use the term ‘carboy’ for large plastic acid containers.
The other difference found between demijohns and carboys was for 19th century shipping prices, with carboys being charged a higher rate, probably due to their hazardous contents. While carboys denote chemicals, demijohns have become closely associated with wine or spirits. For the remainder of this article, only the word demijohn will be used .