Tall Turn-Moulded 19th Century Continental Gin Bottle

Description

Heading : Tall Turn-Moulded 19th Century Continental Gin Bottle
Date : 19th century – second half
Origin : Continental Europe
Marks : large gilt enamelling of a bottle label and chain. bearing the name GIN
Type : Typically Germanic turned high-kick hock-bottle shape. embellished with later gilt decoration; applied collar to the fire-polished neck
Size : 33cm high 7.2 cm diameter base
Condition : Good; no cracks. chips or flakes; some air bubble inclusions; gilding worn in places; superficial bumps and scratches entirely commensurate with age
Restoration : None
Weight : 592 grams

When this arrived in the UK it was almost certainly filled with Hock. Gin was produced both legally and illegally in every town and city and distributed by merchants and other means. Upcycling an old bottle will have been an easy means to denote the contents within the tavern trade or a cheap alternative to a decanter.