lelliott608
Member
I have what appears to be a Masonic flask that I picked up recently at an estate sale. However, I'm not familiar at all with how to identify/authenticate it and was hoping someone could help.
It is 19 cm high and 7.5 cm across the outside points of the base and a darker blue in color. The sides are ribbed from the bottom of the bottle up to the start of the neck. One side of the bottle has an eagle holding three arrows and 'J-P' (the J and P are linked together via a connecting line) within a circle. On the other side are a variety of Masonic symbols, including (from left center going around clockwise): skull and crossbones, a shovel, the sun, the moon (with rays, in between two groupings of three stars), a ladder, behive (at the bottom), a crossed stick and trowel?. Then, within the arches (from the top) is an eye, a Masonic symbol, and a 'G' within a triangle (surrounded in rays).
The bottom of the flask is smooth, with no discernible pontil mark. There does appear to be three small, dark circles on the inside of the bottom of the flask, two that are together (and seem to form an open '8') and then another off next to that. All three circles are about the diameter of stir straws, if that makes sense. There are no other markings on the bottom.
There doesn't appear to be a distinct seam that goes up the bottle neck on either side. What little lines there are stop below the top of the bottle, which flares out slightly at the lip. The top of the bottle is relatively smooth, although there is more of a textured feel to it than the rest of the glass. There is some sort of residue inside the neck of the bottle and into the top part of the inside, but I didn't dare do anything with trying to clean it until I knew more. I've attached a picture and hope that what I've included can help someone offer me some insight. Thanks in advance!
It is 19 cm high and 7.5 cm across the outside points of the base and a darker blue in color. The sides are ribbed from the bottom of the bottle up to the start of the neck. One side of the bottle has an eagle holding three arrows and 'J-P' (the J and P are linked together via a connecting line) within a circle. On the other side are a variety of Masonic symbols, including (from left center going around clockwise): skull and crossbones, a shovel, the sun, the moon (with rays, in between two groupings of three stars), a ladder, behive (at the bottom), a crossed stick and trowel?. Then, within the arches (from the top) is an eye, a Masonic symbol, and a 'G' within a triangle (surrounded in rays).
The bottom of the flask is smooth, with no discernible pontil mark. There does appear to be three small, dark circles on the inside of the bottom of the flask, two that are together (and seem to form an open '8') and then another off next to that. All three circles are about the diameter of stir straws, if that makes sense. There are no other markings on the bottom.
There doesn't appear to be a distinct seam that goes up the bottle neck on either side. What little lines there are stop below the top of the bottle, which flares out slightly at the lip. The top of the bottle is relatively smooth, although there is more of a textured feel to it than the rest of the glass. There is some sort of residue inside the neck of the bottle and into the top part of the inside, but I didn't dare do anything with trying to clean it until I knew more. I've attached a picture and hope that what I've included can help someone offer me some insight. Thanks in advance!
