German Half post bottle?

[rockbot]

Hi Red, thank you for the info on that book. When I saw the dimensions it kind of threw me off. One would have to pour using two hands as the bottle is six inches on its side. The opening also appeared to be quite small. It would be interested to see it in use.

Aloha, Rocky

 

[kungfufighter]

ORIGINAL: rockbot

I don't see what useful purpose a bottle of that shape would have other then decoration. The contents would never pour in any useful fashion. Interesting thread though!

Kudos to Rockbot for hitting the nail squarely on the head! Yes, the rectangle is a common shape for a period bottle but the size and shape of this particular bottle coupled with the long neck and small opening simply does not "work." Bottles of the 18th and 19th century were made for UTLITY. Teir decorative qualities are secondary. I agree with Red, the Van den Bossche book is an important resource and FWIW, there are no remotely similar bottles pictured there.

 

[kungfufighter]

ORIGINAL: saratogadriver

Is there such a thing as a good, 18th century Mexican bottle? No slight intended on Mexico, but the only stuff I have ever seen is half baked repros of older, high end stuff, like the Ben Franklin inkwell. They MUST have made bottles. I mean, tequila did originate in Mexico, right? They had to bottle it in something...

Jim G

There is some evidence that a small glass house was in operation in Puebla, Mexico during the 16th century as well as a relatively obscure reference in Edwin Atlee Barber's 1908 book that mentions glassmaking in Mexico but as noted by Gunther, the likely source of their 18th century bottles was Spain, as Mexico did not gain Independence until the 1820s. I do not know of any hard evidence showing that bottles were produced on a substatial scale in Mexico during the 18th century.

 

[woody]

Willy Van den Bossche is a forum member signing up in the beginning of this forum.
If you do a member search of his name you can email him or PM him.

 

[RED Matthews]

Thank you woody, I have had some contact with him via email and regular mail, I even bought my book directly from him. I also have another European friend that I am in frequent visits with. In fact he came to visit us in NY State and we spent three days together with them and our wives at the Corning Glass Museum in Corning, NY.
I enjoy knowing and visiting with bottle people - they are a high percentage of good folks.

I didn't ever look for him on the Forum - but I will check it out in a few minutes. RED M.

 

[bostaurus]

I am going to try and post a picture i have of some German bottles. The picture may be rather small. I can't remember where I got the picture from...sorry. I just remember it was from an antique glass site.
I can't tell if the in the front is square or not...it does have that strange dumpy body and long neck.

 

[RED Matthews]

Now I have one for all you serious studiers of the German Half Post process. I questioned this man regarding the need for two pontil marks on a bottle made with this process. This was his reply - I just wanted to see what he came back with. - I hope you recognize the eBay seller:

Dear redmatt,
Hi, This bottle was blown with a pontil mark. It was then coated with a second layer of glass and with another pontal mark. You can see the first inner layer mark from inside the bottle and it does line up exactly with the mark from the outer layer. Regards, Tim
- monroelamp

It is almost sad, in my book. RED Matthews

 

[earlyglass]

One thing I would like to add to this post since we are on the discussion.... I have a copy of Van De Bossche's book. I use it quite a bit and I think he has done a phenomenal job educating collectors with information regarding glass origins and characteristics. What I would like to say is in no way a criticism toward him or his publication because have high regards for the job he has done. However, I have recognized that much of the glass (primarily during the early 18th c. into the early 19th c.) that has now been labeled as foreign, was also produced in the early American colonies and early United States. Obviously, glassblowers migrating to the "new world" brought thier talents and techniques. This is evident in the shards uncovered at the glasshouse sites. A collector looking at these shards, and knowing that they were excavated locally, would be enlightened by the vast quantity and diversity of glass produced. Outside of this context, a collector would quickly pass these off as not being American. Keep this in mind. As one collector may be convinced that a piece is Austrian, Dutch, English or whatever and another collector believes it to be from Germantown, Wistarburgh, or Pitkin... actually, both collectors may be correct!

 

[RED Matthews]

Hello earlyglass, I have to agree with you all the way. I am glad to see you take a stand and advise others of the possible fallacy of assuming their bottle came from Europe. I have studied a lot of information on shard analysis regarding glass house excavations and the shards that they produced. I haven't seen too many I could relate to my collected bottles. I am not complaining though. RED Matthews

 

[div2roty]

RE: German Half post bottle? Need Update

Does all this mean that the one sold in American Bottle Auctions, as linked earlier, is also new?