South Texas Calabash Flask

[Clayton J. Migl]

This miniature calabash flask was found in south Texas. I believe it dates from the 1850s/60s, correct? Is it pontiled? Would this bottle had been weaved with whicker? Any information helps me do a write up on this bottle.

 

[hemihampton]

That's not Pontiled. Probably dates around 1860's to 1870's in my opinion. I usually see much bigger Bottles like Demi Johns in Wicker. BUT, That Bottle is far from my expertise, maybe some one else can chime in with better info. LEON.

p.s. welcome to the site.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Doesn't appear to fit the common definition of "calabash bottle." Looks more like a "skittles bottle," but I can't tell from the two images just how inflated or compressed it is. May be foreign-made. Pontil scar, your dates are reasonable.

Calabash bottles are large, gourd or pear shaped bottles (sometimes called flasks also) which were quite popular during the mid 19th century, i.e., 1840s to around 1870. The name presumably originates from the resemblance of these bottles to the hard shelled, gourd-like fruits of the tropical American "calabash tree."

 

[Clayton J. Migl]

That's not Pontiled. Probably dates around 1860's to 1870's in my opinion. I usually see much bigger Bottles like Demi Johns in Wicker. BUT, That Bottle is far from my expertise, maybe some one else can chime in with better info. LEON.

p.s. welcome to the site.

Thank you Leon.

 

[hemihampton]

Doesn't appear to fit the common definition of "calabash bottle." Looks more like a "skittles bottle," but I can't tell from the two images just how inflated or compressed it is. May be foreign-made. Pontil scar, your dates are reasonable.

Calabash bottles are large, gourd or pear shaped bottles (sometimes called flasks also) which were quite popular during the mid 19th century, i.e., 1840s to around 1870. The name presumably originates from the resemblance of these bottles to the hard shelled, gourd-like fruits of the tropical American "calabash tree."

Did you see a Pontil scar? Curious?

 

[sandchip]

Not pontiled, nor is it a calabash. I agree that it would date in the 1860 to 1870 range.

 

[nhpharm]

I am going to disagree on this-those flakes on the base are a "pontil", though a style more often seen on European bottles (which this probably is). I suspect it was originally wicker covered or similar. Age-wise I think the oldest it would be is 1870's.

 

[GatesMillsGirl]

This miniature calabash flask was found in south Texas. I believe it dates from the 1850s/60s, correct? Is it pontiled? Would this bottle had been weaved with whicker? Any information helps me do a write up on this bottle.
View attachment 235246
View attachment 235247

PRETTY - love the color.

 

[DavidW]

I'm confused by some of the responses. The weird "patches" or "flakes" on the base look (to me) like some embedded glass remnants (irregular patches of hardened glass from the previous bottle being blown into the mold). It does NOT look like an open pontil.

Usually a real pontil mark will be (more or less) placed close to the center. Right?

 

[nhpharm]

It is a pontil in that it is a scar from where a pontil rod was adhered to the base of the bottle. It's not a traditional "American" tubular "open pontil" or an iron pontil, but probably falls into the "glass tipped pontil scar" category. I've seen these on a lot of European (Italian and French) bottles, and it strikes me that they were using a pretty broad tip on the rod that crossed from base ridge to base ridge.