Poison Demijohn ?

[Sam_MaineBottles]

Hi All –
I recently picked up a demijohn and was hoping to get some info on it. It’s a BIM blue aqua smooth base with tapered lip, it stands 15 inches high. What makes this one a little different are the dots/bumps/dimples that are found around the body of the bottle, about 15 vertical rows of 4 or 5 of these dimples. These seem much like the ones found on some poison bottles to forewarn the user of the contents. Does this demijohn have similar dimples to let the user know that the contents were unhealthy, like acid perhaps? Comments welcome. Thanks - Sam

 

[GuntherHess]

Thats odd. Demijohns where normally covered with wicker or other materials so I'm not sure the bumps would serve a tactile purpose?

 

[ktbi]

I don't really know Demijohns, but based on your comment Matt, could the bumps be designed to grab the wicker cover and secure it somehow???

Ron

 

[GuntherHess]

I was thinking the same thing, that maybe they helped hold on some type of covering. I was also thinking someone got really carried away with the air venting.
Its certainly not a common one.

 

[cobaltbot]

Maybe email Harry Pristis.

 

[LayerSlayer]

I wouldn't think the raised areas serve the same purpose as they do on poison bottles. I can't imagine needing to mark a huge demijohn to keep people from getting it mixed up with other bottles in the dark.

They also don't seem to follow any particular pattern.

Those raised areas certainly make it unique. I like it.

 

[Sam_MaineBottles]

Hi Folks -

I don’t know if this demijohn started out with a wicker covering or not but it certainly seems that it spent considerable time without one. This pic shows the base with its considerable wear. I can’t seem to find other examples of demijohns like this that had this type of dimpled surface - for whatever reason it was made that way.

- Sam

 

[Sam_MaineBottles]

I tried to show in this pic that the vertical rows of dimples were fairly regularly spaced. Mid-way between the mold lines, the rows of dimples on both the ‘front’ and ‘back’ of the bottle, the top dimples are noticeably absent – perhaps leaving a smooth space for labels?

- Sam

 

[RICKJJ59W]

If it was poison,that amount could have killed the entire population of Maine. [8D]

 

[RED Matthews]

Hello, A special thanks for this reference. I am always looking for bottlemysteries and this seems to qualify. I have quite a few demijohns but never saw one with dots like this. I am sure they are not mold vents. The only excuse I can conceive is the idea of holding wicker from moving. Fantastic, thanks.
RED Matthews