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Description, References and Size

This is an urn shaped decanter, with black glass stopper and foot, and amber body. The stopper is cut with panels into an octagonal shape. The foot has a polished pontil mark. In the late 1700s urn shaped decanters were created for liqueur and this might be a recreation of the shape for that purpose.

Black glass is a classic art deco feature, and I have even seen period bathrooms with black glass walls. Black or black painted glass is generally a sign glass from the 20s and 30s as it hasn't been as popular at any other period.

Height: 8.75 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a Thomas Webb decanter, with green stopper and foot and clear glass body. The body and stopper of the decanter have optic ribbed waves, similar to the waved vases produced by Whitefriars that they produced in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Webb called this pattern Cascade and had been using it since 1904. In shape the decanter is reminiscent of the classical footed decanters of the late Victorian and Edwardian period only chunkier in look and feel.

A decanter similar to this is illustrated in the Miller's Glass of the 20s & 30s designed by Frankie Leibe. Whilst be exactly the same shape the illustrated decanter amethyst with an optic scale pattern called Conifer instead of Cascade. Thomas Webb also made this decanter with a pale blue stopper and foot, in the Conifer and Cascade pattern too.

These are great looking decanters that really stand out from the crowd.

Reference: Miller's Glass of the '20s & 30's, Frankie Leibe, page 11

Height: 11 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a bi-conical shaped decanter, with milky green stopper and foot, clear glass body and tri-corn frilled pouring lip. Made circa.1920s-30s.

Geometric shapes are classics of the art deco period. Design wise where the body of the decanter joins the foot seems a little weak as the bi-conical shape is broken by a step in to fit to the foot and the tri-corn frilled lip is from a previous age.

This is similar to a Whitefriars design, but I have been unable to find this exact design pattern, suspect it's Scandinavian.

Height: 12 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a tapered decanter, with a drop shaped stopper. It has broad criss cross cutting to the lower part of the body surmounted by broadly cut upright fern patterns, and panel cut shoulders. The stopper has a panel cut neck with criss-cross cutting surmounted by vertical cuts.

The tapered body with panel cut shoulders is very reminiscent of late 18th century decanters, however the broad criss-cross and fern patterns are very 1930s, with fern patterns being used in Stuart designs of the time, such as Woodchester.

Height: 13 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a rhomboid shaped decanter, with a black painted stopper and clear glass body. It has horizontal bands etched on it that were probably originally painted black. Designed by Keith Murray for Stevens and Williams of Brierley Hill in 1933, pattern number KM 371a.

Keith Murray was one of the foremost designers in the Art Deco style and designed for Stevens and Williams from 1932 to 1939. Keith Murray was such a prolific designer that only a dozen of many of the decanters he designed were manufactured, consequently this might be quite rare.

I have seen a very similar decanter with vertical lines and a silver painted stopper. As this is a mold blown decanter and the molds were relatively expensive to make, I suspect the same mold was untilised with various patterns painted engraved and etched on it.

It is not usual for me to put my trust in auction houses, but I would like to thank Fieldings Auctioneers for the pattern number. As they are in Stourbridge I presume they have better reference material than me.

Reference: The Journal of the Glass Association, Volume 2 1987. page 57.

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, Page 505.

Reference: Christies Collecting Decanters, Jane Hollingworth.

Height: 12 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is an amber Stuart Crystal decanter is based on the Stratford pattern, with additional stylised floral pattern cut in a band around the body and the stopper. Designed from 1921.

The Stuart Crystal Stratford pattern is recognised by a series of moulded steps formed into circumferential rings around the base and shoulder of decanters and the base of the bowl in glasses bowls and jugs.

Go to the section Glass by Maker, and look under Stuart Crystal to see other designs from the Stratford Pattern.

Reference: Miller's 20th Century Glass, Andy McConnell, page 236

Height: 11 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a conical decanter, with pointed stopper. It has a polished pontil, four bands of cut ellipses near the base, downward pointing cut fern pattern, under a band of fine hobnail cutting and slice cut neck. The pointed stopper is cut to echo the fine hobnail and fern pattern. It has an etched makers mark, Webb Corbett Made in England that was used from 1930-1947.

If Art Deco decanters are supposed to be elegant and geometric this fits the bill. Whilst it is tall it is also quite slender and would probably not take a whole bottle. The design seems to fit with the work of Irene Stevens, but I haven't seen this pattern referenced anywhere.

Reference: Millar's Glass of the '20s & '30s, Frankie Leibe

Height: 13.5 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is an amber footed urn shaped decanter has an ogee curve to the bottom half of the body and vertical optical ribs. The stopper is a plain mushroom with a flat but unpolished top. Probably 1930s.

This is an elegant light looking decanter in the ever popular period colour of amber (not so popular today though). A well balanced shape and pattern, but I don't know who it's made by.

Height: 9.75 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a Strombergshyttan rib molded pale brown decanter, the solid stopper mirrors the shape of the decanter body and has polished flat top. Elfverson pattern number E.624. Possibly designed by Hugh Dunne Cooke in the 1930s.

This decanter is similar to some of the Whitefriars patterns of the time. A key element of with Whitefriars is their stopper pegs are cut with more precision than decanters. Note how the stopper has a slight taper towards the base, Whitefriars stopper pegs have square cut ends with a slight bevel on them. Also I have not found this shade of brown being used by UK manufacturers.

Reference: The Journal of The Glass Association Journal Volume 8 2008, Page 59

Height: 9.5 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a Stuart Crystal barrel shaped decanter with the Woodchester pattern. The body has six unpolished vertical stylised fern leaves cut into it, with two horizontal lines above. The mushroom stopper has a polished flat top and six ellipses cut around the edge. Etched underneath with the mark; Stuart ENGLAND. Designed in 1935 by Ludwig Kny.

Woodchester was a very popular long lived pattern that carried on being made after the war. Whilst the design is 1930s there is a strong probability that this was made after the war as production of this pattern went on until at least the 1960s.

Reference: British Glass Between the Wars, Roger Dodsworth, pages 97 & 98

Reference: Miller's 20th Century Glass, Andy McConnell, page 239

Height: 8.75 inches

Width: 4.25 inches

This is a footed urn shaped decanter, with a clear body and black foot. The bottom half of the body is stepped in two places. The black glass stopper is a plain mushroom with a flat polished top. Probably 1930s.

The contrasting black is very of the deco period, although I have no reference I suspect this decanter is continental.

Height: 10 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a footed urn shaped decanter, with a clear body and black foot. The bottom half of the body has vertical optical ribs. The black glass stopper is a plain unpolished vertial disc. Probably 1930s.

Again the classic contrasting black glass, but I feel this design is not that strong as the disc seems a little small in proportion to the bottle. I also think this is a continental decanter.

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a dark blue decanter, with the bottom half of the body moulded in four angular sections. The stopper is a mushroom with elipses cut into its edge. Probably 1930s.

This looks good but is not high quality piece of glass, I am not even sure if it is not machine blown. Whilst I usually have distain for most decanters entirely machine made this does have a strong period design. I suspect it is French.

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 4 inches

This is a footed inverted cone shaped decanter, with a thick collar around the base of the body and engraved stylised foliage on the upper body. The stopper is a wide thin mushroom type. Probably 1930s-40s.

This decanter follows a common art deco body plan, that you can see through the previous decanters shown in this section. If you look in the secton on Glass by Maker, you will see there are plenty of other body plans for art deco style decanters, but this seems to be the one where I have not been able to find a reference and so they have ended up in this bucket.

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 4 inches