a stopper. The way to check is to run your finger down inside the neck of the bottle where the stopper goes. In a decanter you can feel where the inside of the neck has been ground or polished so that the stopper fits snugly and creates an air seal for the contents. If the inside of the neck feels like one continuous curve then it is probably a carafe. If it came with a stopper and the stopper also wobbles about, then don't put it in as it will only crack the neck open at some point. Also, another point to remember is that not all carafes have wide necks to give them away as such.
Carafes may be written off as the poor cousin of the decanter, but they have advantages as a collectable and uses. You never have to worry about the stopper being correct as they don't have one. They are good if you just want to water on the table, or put out wine you know is going to be drunk. Carafes can be similar to decanters, but quite often have their own charm just as carafes.
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Description, References and Size |
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This is a thinly blown conical carafe, with the an base oval made by Whitefriars. There is an applied crimped trail to one side and frilled trail around the neck. This carafe also has an etched heraldic cifer of an eagles head and crown. Whitefriars pattern number J.1. Made circa 1870s. In the Whitefriars catalogue this carafe is referred to as "The Oval ‘Leather Bottle’", the form presumably having been inspired by early flasks made of leather which are this shape and have a sown seam to one side. Reference: Whitefriars Glass, James Powell & Sons of London, Wendy Evans, Page 262 Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 450 Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Reference: Nineteenth Century British Glass, Hugh Wakefield, page 118 Height: 7.5 inches Width: 5 inches |
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This is a thinly blown conical cup mouthed carafe, with the an base oval made by Whitefriars. There is an applied crimped trail to one side and frilled trail around the neck. Made circa 1890s. The carafe like this shown in the Leslie Jackson book in a photograph dated 1896, has a silver and cork stopper. I have yet to see one with it's actual stopper. Even with a stopper this is still considered a carafe (you figure it out). Whitefriars weren't the only company reputed to have made this type of carafe, the next most frequent attribution being Stuart & Sons. I think this attribution is wrong, as I have a marked Stuart piece and although similar it is not the same. Unless someone can show these carafes in a Stuart catalogue I don't think it is correct. You may also notice how this carafe and the one above differ although they are both by Whitefriars. I can only attribute this difference to the 20 years age difference between them as illustrated from source material in the books. As I see the cup mouthed versions more frequently it would make sense that they are the more recent version. Reference: Whitefriars Glass, The Art of James Powell & Sons, Lesley Jackson, Page 30 Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 450 Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Reference: Nineteenth Century British Glass, Hugh Wakefield, page 118 Height: 7.5 inches Width: 5 inches |
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This is a thinly blown conical cup mouthed carafe, with the an base oval made by Whitefriars. There is an applied crimped trail to one side and frilled trail around the neck. Made circa 1900-1925. This is smaller version of the one above with some differences in its profile, however it has a miltiary insignia acid etched on the side. The insignia is for Middlesex Regiment which was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. This Middlesex Regiment insignia has a number III in the middle of it, which I believe relates to 3rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment. The 3rd Battalion was formed in 1900 and disbanded in the early 1920s and hence the date I have given here. As a quality thing this carafe would probably have been used in the officers mess. Reference: Whitefriars Glass, The Art of James Powell & Sons, Lesley Jackson, Page 30 Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 450 Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Reference: Nineteenth Century British Glass, Hugh Wakefield, page 118 Height: 6.75 inches Width: 3.5 inches |
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A conical carafe with a neck frill and turquoise pulled glass thread wound around the base and the neck. Made circa 1870-1900. This may be a Whitefriars as whilst this exact pattern is not in either the Whitefriars books (see bibliography) they do have glass from a similar period with pulled glass thread of the same turquoise colour on aesthetic pieces of this character. Carafes like this were made in imitation of leather bottles from earlier times. Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Height: 7.5 inches Width: 4.5 inches |
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This is a conical cup mouthed carafe, with the an base oval made by . There is an applied crimped trail to one side and frilled trail around the neck. Made circa 1900-1925. I believe that most of this type of decanter started life with stoppers similar to the one photographed here. I have a larger version of this decanter without a stopper for it, which has Stuart England etched into the bottom, as used 1926-50. It may be that other companies made this type of carafe, but Stuart Crystal definitely did. This style of carafe started in the 1870s and as this design was still being made post 1926 it illustrates the longevity of successful designs and consequently how difficult it is to date glass with precision. Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Height: 8.25 inches Width: 4 inches |
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A conical carafe, similar to those with the crimped trail done one side made in imitation of leather bottles. This one has a frilled neck ring, and pulled glass thread covering the entire body. Late 19th Century to early 20th century. This "carafe" is tiny and may be intended as a small vase or just a decorative item or a posy vase. Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Height: 3 inches Width: 1.5 inches |
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This is a rib moulded conical cup mouthed carafe. There is an applied crimped trail to one side and frilled trail around the neck. Made circa mid-1900s. Due to the heavier quality of the glass on this carafe I don't believe this was made in the UK in the Victoria and 1900s era, but is more likely to be a Scandinavian one which from what I read were made from the 1930w . Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Height: 3 inches Width: 1.5 inches |
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This is a conical cup mouthed carafe in grey glass. There is an applied crimped trail to one side, a frilled trail around the neck, and it has an engraved frieze with swags and ribbons. It has a paper label marked Reijmyre Sweden 1810. Made circa late 1900s-2019. Check out the end date here as I think theyare still making this. I get the impression this glass house is on the edge, as a couple of years ago they had a nice website with this carafe for sale in it. That seems to have disappeared and the current website looks more like a holding page. They are still on Facebook so something is still happening there. Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 342 Height: 3 inches Width: 1.5 inches |
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