Made in France but what the heck is it?

[morbious_fod]

I spent yesterday goofing off and came across a yard sale near where I live. I stopped because the urge to see if they had any soda bottles came upon me. I looked around and not finding any sodas aside from a couple 2001 era Coca-Cola ND/NRs, empty of course, I stumbled upon this bottle and a hand blown mallet bottle from the bygone year of 1976, it was one of those gift shop bottles from Williamsburg va, both of which cost me $1. Of course I just can't figure this bottle out. I've never seen one before, it appears to be hand blown and worked, but the only marking on it is "Made in France" embossed on the bottom. I figure these two would make good window bottles in the living room, but what it the story behind the "Made in France"?

 

[morbious_fod]

It had four chambers and an opening for each.

 

[morbious_fod]

Of course the bottom.

 

[JGill]

Very intresting bottle you would think it would be very hard to make.

 

[TJSJHART]

flower vase..?

 

[beendiggin]

I think it contained four different flavored liquors.

 

[RED Matthews]

Hi, morbious_fod; The bottle you have is a cansiter of four liquids for dressing your salad or other food flavorings. Each of the top holes had a glass stopper to fit the tapered holes, and usually glass cones that came up to a point for the lifting of the stopper you wanted. One container would have olive oil, one a cider vinegar, one a baslamic vinegar and the fourth for whatever you wanted. I think I have two of them, or I could have given one to a friend a few years ago. The study of how they were blown is quite interesting but I can't tell you where I read about them or what book it was. The four parison tubes were stuck together and blown in a mold to produce the liquid capacity. They usually had the two or three rings appied to provide a good grip on the necks. I think they were made in three our four European Countries.
I will keep your Forum name in a folder with a reference tab so I can come back to you later.
Unique conversation bottles. I would go back where you got the bottle to see if they had the stoppers left in a box or someplace like that. Good Luck.
RED Matthews

 

[morbious_fod]

Thanks I'll do that. Any idea of how old it is?

 

[cyberdigger]

Morb, there's one identical to that in a local thrift store here.. I keep checking it out, but can't bring myself to spend the 25 cents on it.. that's because it's chipped.. anyhow, I don't think there were any stoppers for this piece, and I'd guess it to be from the 1950's or '60's.. kinda fun to imagine how they blew that one.. I picture 4 dwarves, each with a little blowpipe, gathered round the mold.. []

 

[GuntherHess]

You see these around quite a bit in antique shops. They were a popular dispenser for holding multiple liquers like rum , whiskey, gin, etc.
Here is an intact one with the spouts still on it.
http://www.prices4antiques.com/bottles-flasks-jars/liquor-spirits/Liquor-Bottle-Bulbous-Four-Chambered-Silver-Overlay-12-inch-D9983005.htm

I suppose you could use them for salad dressing but I've always seen them marked for spirits.