Weirdo demijohn? Or something else?

[BottleZen]

Greetings all,
I’m brand new to the forum. First post, in fact. I must admit, my bottle lust has had me lurking around here in the past, and I’ve enjoyed reading very much. Thanks to all. I’ve actually joined now because I’ve acquired a mystery piece recently that has me puzzled. Hopefully joining and asking an “identification” question won’t be considered a nuisance. I am hopeful that knowledgeable folk here might help me understand what this is. I think it is a demijohn of some sort, perhaps one that came out a mistake, not fully formed?

 

[Digger 57]

Greetings all,
I’m brand new to the forum. First post, in fact. I must admit, my bottle lust has had me lurking around here in the past, and I’ve enjoyed reading very much. Thanks to all. I’ve actually joined now because I’ve acquired a mystery piece recently that has me puzzled. Hopefully joining and asking an “identification” question won’t be considered a nuisance. I am hopeful that knowledgeable folk here might help me understand what this is. I think it is a demijohn of some sort, perhaps one that came out a mistake, not fully formed?

Welcome it is an strange looking bottle .possibly wrapped in straw??

 

[willong]

possibly wrapped in straw??

Assuming the signs of base wear are legit, if the bottle was originally straw-wrapped, it has seen some use after wrapping was removed.

 

[willong]

Greetings all,
I’m brand new to the forum. First post, in fact. I must admit, my bottle lust has had me lurking around here in the past, and I’ve enjoyed reading very much. Thanks to all. I’ve actually joined now because I’ve acquired a mystery piece recently that has me puzzled. Hopefully joining and asking an “identification” question won’t be considered a nuisance. I am hopeful that knowledgeable folk here might help me understand what this is. I think it is a demijohn of some sort, perhaps one that came out a mistake, not fully formed?

Welcome to the forum.

Are any mold seams visible to you in the glass surface?

I can't tell in the photo detail below if I'm looking at mold seam(s) or just reflections and striations from lip tooling.

 

[CanadianBottles]

Welcome to the forum.

Are any mold seams visible to you in the glass surface?

I can't tell in the photo detail below if I'm looking at mold seam(s) or just reflections and striations from lip tooling.

View attachment 240598

I'm definitely seeing mold seams in that photo running to the top of the lip. Not sure what's going on with the base since it looks like it has a pontil. Maybe a fake, molded pontil? It looks strangely legit to me though from what I can see in the photo. I can't see any seams on the base consistent with an ABM bottle either. But still the lip looks 100% ABM to me. I'm really curious to see what happens to the seam on the side when it runs towards the base. I can't remember ever seeing another bottle where the top half looks so mismatched to the bottom half.

 

[BottleZen]

Welcome to the forum.

Are any mold seams visible to you in the glass surface?

I can't tell in the photo detail below if I'm looking at mold seam(s) or just reflections and striations from lip tooling.

View attachment 240598

Hi Willong. Yes, definitely mold seams on both sides of neck and body.

 

[BottleZen]

I'm definitely seeing mold seams in that photo running to the top of the lip. Not sure what's going on with the base since it looks like it has a pontil. Maybe a fake, molded pontil? It looks strangely legit to me though from what I can see in the photo. I can't see any seams on the base consistent with an ABM bottle either. But still the lip looks 100% ABM to me. I'm really curious to see what happens to the seam on the side when it runs towards the base. I can't remember ever seeing another bottle where the top half looks so mismatched to the bottom half.

This additional photo shows the seams a little more clearly. The seams fade to invisible a few inches down the body past the neck.

 

[willong]

I'm definitely seeing mold seams in that photo running to the top of the lip. Not sure what's going on with the base since it looks like it has a pontil. Maybe a fake, molded pontil? It looks strangely legit to me though from what I can see in the photo. I can't see any seams on the base consistent with an ABM bottle either. But still the lip looks 100% ABM to me. I'm really curious to see what happens to the seam on the side when it runs towards the base. I can't remember ever seeing another bottle where the top half looks so mismatched to the bottom half.

Yes, I agree: the mixed messages abound on that bottle!

The lip is definitely not "applied" as one would expect with a pontiled bottle. While I thought that I saw mold seams, including annular seam just under the bottom edge of the lip, that visual information was so contradictory to a pontiled base that I had to ask BottleZen for confirmation. (Even a tooled lip seems inconsistent with what looks like a pontil scar.)

I'm going to stick my neck out--especially as there is no penalty beyond ridicule if I'm wrong--and guess that the bottle is an imported decorative "display item" meant to capitalize on antique bottles' popularity in the late 1960's or 70's; maybe later.

Unless a mold could be opened so quickly that the glass was still plastic and slumped because of the weight of the massive neck bearing on broad but thin shoulder, I suspect that even the "defects" (tilt of the neck and slumped shoulder) might have been deliberate fakery.

 

[willong]

Hi Willong. Yes, definitely mold seams on both sides of neck and body.

Thanks for reply.

I've posted my assessment/theory. Now, the question is: How long before Harry checks in and shoots my theory all to hell with well-documented facts?

 

[BottleZen]

Yes, I agree: the mixed messages abound on that bottle!

The lip is definitely not "applied" as one would expect with a pontiled bottle. While I thought that I saw mold seams, including annular seam just under the bottom edge of the lip, that visual information was so contradictory to a pontiled base that I had to ask BottleZen for confirmation. (Even a tooled lip seems inconsistent with what looks like a pontil scar.)

I'm going to stick my neck out--especially as there is no penalty beyond ridicule if I'm wrong--and guess that the bottle is an imported decorative "display item" meant to capitalize on antique bottles' popularity in the late 1960's or 70's; maybe later.

Unless a mold could be opened so quickly that the glass was still plastic and slumped because of the weight of the massive neck bearing on broad but thin shoulder, I suspect that even the "defects" (tilt of the neck and slumped shoulder) might have been deliberate fakery.

Oh, my!!! Fakery!!! I’ve been duped!!! Lol! Some connivery from China for the flower-child commercial market in the U. S., and probably purchased at (an early version of) Dock 1 imports!!?? Yes, there is an annular seam around the bottom edge of the lip. And I do believe a false pontil!!
Sheesh! My goodness!! Live and learn (a lot from you all)!
Thanks very much the help, especially you, willong, thank you.