Rare Early 19th Century Octagonal Beer or Spirits Bottle c1815- Near Mint

Description

Heading : An octagonal beer or spirits bottle
Date : c1815
Period :  George III
Origin : British
Colour : Deep olive green
Pontil : Sand pontil
Glass Type : Soda lime bottle glass
Size : 23.5cms tall
Condition : Near mint
Restoration : None
Weight : 768g

This is a common-purpose bottle displaying a dip-moulded octagonal bodied form. The rare eight sided body shape was introduced into the repertoire of British wine and beer bottles in the early 1730’s. the earliest example having an applied body seal stamped with ‘Foote/Harwood – 1731’. How successful they were as a shape that could endure the rigors of being transported and stored in a cellar is perhaps open to question. but their scarcity suggests they were either manufactured in limited numbers or they were. because of their eight sided body shape. far more vulnerable to breakage during use and therefore few have survived in comparison to their cylindrical bodied counterparts. Whatever the reason they are undeniably scare and the bottle offered here is indeed a rare survivor and in extremely good condition for a vessel over two hundred years old. It was discovered. together with a similar bottle. in an 18^th century farm outbuilding near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire in 1976.

* The squat broad bodied form suggests its use as a beer or spirits bottle rather than a wine bottle