Pair of Marked Irish Cork Glass Company Decanters c1795

Description

Heading : Antique Irish Glass decanters
Date : c1795
Period : George III
Origin : Cork. Ireland
Colour : Clear
Stopper : Original moulded target
Neck : Three applied and feathered neck rings
Body : Prussian form engraved with swags and pendants below stars and husks. all above basal moulded fluting
Base : Snapped pontil with moulded Cork Glass Co around
Glass Type : Lead
Size : 26.5cm tall and approximatelty 11cm in diameter
Condition : Very fine
Restoration : None
Weight : 1641 grams

The Cork Glass Company was a glass house founded to benefit from the “Free trade” agreements with the remainder of Britain. This predates both the Waterloo Glass House and the Terrace Glass Works. The largest collection of marked Irish glass is held by the museum of Ireland. On a recent visit we noted that decanters with waffle and pinched target stoppers were generally given earlier dates that those with radial mushroom stoppers.

We were unable to detect any major differences in the engraved and cut designs. in fact the vesica cut examples predominate. We were advised that in Ireland the use of Vesica Pisces may have had a religious significance. They do look like fish adjoined at the tail and the cross hatching may have been used to represent scales. For the Greek scholars the relationship between icthys and Christ will be well known.

References : The Decanter an Illustrated history of glass from 1650 By Andy McConnell – Page 237 Plate 337.

Irish Glass- Phelps warren pages 77 to 83