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IRISH MOULD-BLOWN DECANTERS

The question is why bother to have a separate section on molded Irish decanters. Irish decanters are special for one major reason. For a period of time they had a method of faking the combe cutting around the base of the decanters by blowing the base of the decanter in a ridged mould. In the bottom of many of those moulds was the name of the glass house. As a result of this you are able to categorically identify which glass house produced certain decanters.

As result fo being able to identify which glass house produced which decanters, it is also possible to see that the glass houses had certain unique styles and idiosyncrasies. Some of these idiosyncrasies continued beyond the use of the mould blown decanters.

In the world of antiques the ability to identify the provenance of something gives it more value, consequently Irish decanters hold a value that is beyond there quality. Having lived in Northern Ireland for a while, I can say that provenance does something for me, so I am completely at one with it.

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Decanters

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Description, References and Size

This is a tapered decanter with a combe moulded base and a press moulded bullseye stopper. Engraved around the middle of the decanter is meander of foliage, with the word WHISKEY on one side and spriggs of foliage on three other sides. It also has a deep kick in the base. Made c.1780-1800.

I don't know the manufacturer of this decanter. Whilst all of the motifs that go to make up the decanter are seen other attributed decanters, I have seen none with this exact combination. The shape and the deep kick in the base lead me to think it is probably an early piece in this period.

The only decanter that I have seen that has this foliage meander is in the Dudley Westropp, Irish Glass book. That decanter was marked for B. Edwards of Belfast.

Reference: Irish Glass, Dudley Westropp, page 87.

Reference: English Table Glass, E.M. Elmville, page 189.

Height: 10 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a tapered decanter with a combe moulded base, three squared neck rings with a disc stopper with engraved sprig of foliage. Engraved around the middle of the decanter are two meanders of foliage that cross over, with the letters MR on one side amongst a field of stars and spriggs of foliage on where the meanders cross. Made c.1780-1800.

Whilst this decanter has that slightly niave look early Irish decanters have, I really like it and seems like a together design.

A decanter like this is in the book the Decanter is attributed to Belfast or Cork.

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Height: 9.75 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a Prussian decanter shaped with a combe moulded base, three featured neck rings and a press moulded bullseye stopper. Engraved around the middle of the decanter is grape vine frieze. Made c.1824-1838, possibly by Newry

The grape vine frieze on this decanter feels almost too generic to be Irish. You generally expect to see some sort of Irish motif, however there are 5 decanters illustrated in Glassmaking in Ireland from the Newry and Mourne Museum and they all have this grape motif.

Reference: Glassmaking in Ireland, John M. Hearne, page 134

Height: 10 inches

Width: 4.25 inches

This is a Prussian shaped decanter with a combe moulded base, two feathered neck rings and a press moulded bullseye stopper. Engraved around the middle of the decanter are swags and stylised thistles. Made by B.Edwards of Belfast, circa.1800

I would like to thank the Ulster Museum for providing advice and guidance on attributing a maker to this decanter :- www.nmni.com/um

There is a marked B.Edwards of Belfast decanter with exactly the same stylised thistle in the The Arthur Negus Guide to British Glass.

Reference: Irish Glass, Warren Phelps, plate 4c

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 178

Reference: The Arthur Negus Guide to British Glass, John Brooks, page 76

Reference: English Scottish & Irish Table Glass, G Bernard Hughes, page 283

Height: 10.75 inches

Width: 4.25 inches

This is a Prussian shaped decanter with a combe moulded base, two feathered neck rings and a press moulded bullseye stopper. Engraved around the middle of the decanter are two rings between are stylised sprigs of fliage and stars and a circular cartouche with the name MARTHA CLEMENTS within it surmounted by two wheat ears. Made c.1800

This decanter might be made by B.Edwards of Belfast.

I would like to thank the Ulster Museum for providing advice and guidance on attributing a maker to this decanter :- www.nmni.com/um

Whilst the shape of this decanter conforms with the shape of those made B.Edwards of Belfast, I am not aware of any other decanters with a cartouche and name as this one has. As such I cannot more firmly attribute it.

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Height: 11.75 inches

Width: 4.25 inches

This is a tapered decanter with a combe moulded base, two bladed neck rings and a lunar cut lozenge stopper. Cut around the middle of the decanter is a ring of wheat ears and on the shoulder are three rows of lens. Made c.1800

This decanter might be made by Armstrong, Ormand Quay from Dublin.

The shape of this decanter conforms to one in the Andy McConnell book The Decanter. It was originally sold to me as a Belfast decanter about 25 years ago, but on seeing the marked Armstrong Ormand Quay one I am thinking that is not true. I am sure it was sold in good faith, but things have moved on since then.

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Height: 11 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a Prussion shaped decanter with a combe moulded base, two annulated neck rings and a pressed waffle disc stopper. The body of the decanter is engraved with a crown over an Irish Harp, there is engraved foliage on either side of this and on the back are the engraved initials J:P over A:P. This decanter is probably made by B.Edwards of Belfast, circa 1800.

I would like to thank the Ulster Museum for providing advice and guidance on attributing a maker to this decanter :- www.nmni.com/um

The symbols of the crown over the Irish harp relate to the Act of Union in 1800. The act created the United Kingdom when Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland officially became one country. Regardless of your thoughts on this occurrance that makes this decanter a marker of historical significance. I never thought I would own anything like this, and as luck would have it the dealer I bought it from had no idea of its meaning.

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 176

Reference: Decanters and Glasses, Therle Hughes, Page 40

Height: 10.25 inches

Width: 4.25 inches

This is a tapered decanter with a combe moulded base, two double neck rings and a pressed bullseye stopper. It has cut panels around the shoulders with darts cut into the bottom of them. Made c.1800

Although this is a two neck ring decanter it is not made by B.Edwards of Belfast. The nearest marked one to this I have seen is the Armstrong Ormand Quay one, but it's not as close to it as the one above with two bladed neck rings.

I would like to thank the Ulster Museum for providing advice and guidance on attributing a maker to this decanter :- www.nmni.com/um

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Reference: Irish Glass, Dudley Westropp, plate XVII

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 4.25 inches

This is a Prussian shaped decanter with a combe moulded base, three feathered neck rings and a press moulded bullseye stopper. There is an engraved vesica and diamond pattern around the body. Most probably made be Cork Glass Co. c.1800

Of this type of decanter these are probably less rare and regularly feature in reference books. If you are going to collect Irish decanters one of these is a must have reference piece.

Reference: Irish Glass, Phelps Warren, plate 5B

Reference: English and Irish Glass, W. A.Thorpe, figure 43(b)

Reference: English Bottles & Decanters 1650-1900, Derek C Davis, page 51

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Reference: The Decanter Ancient to Modern, Andy McConnell, page 180

Reference: English Scottish & Irish Table Glass, G Bernard Hughes, page 283

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a Prussian shaped decanter with a combe moulded base, three feathered neck rings and a pressed disc stopper. There is an engraved with swags tied in bows and stylised sunflower heads around the body. Most probably made by Waterloo Co. Cork c.1815-1820.

Of this type of decanter these, are probably less rare and regularly feature in reference books. If you are going to collect Irish decanters one of these is a must have reference piece.

Reference: Irish Glass, Phelps Warren, plate 15A, 15B and 15C

Reference: English and Irish Glass, Geoffrey Wills, Irish Glass section, page 13

Reference: Irish Glass, Dudley Westropp, plate XVII

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 234

Reference: English Table Glass, E.M. Elmville, page 189.

Reference: English Scottish & Irish Table Glass, G Bernard Hughes, page 283

Height: 10.5 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a shouldered decanter with a combe moulded base, three bladed neck rings and a mushroom stopper with radial cutting and flat cut top. There is scale cutting hanging from the shoulder. Made c.1800

I am unable to attribute this decanter to any particular Irish glass house, but it does have features that could have come from a number of them.

Reference: English and Irish Glass, W. A. Thorpe, Fig.43

Height: 10.75 inches

Width: 4.5 inches

This is a mould blown Prussian shaped decanter with three anulated neck rings and a mould pressed bullseye stopper. The moulding of the body represents combe cutting, panels of hobnails and vertical cutting, and step cut shoulders. Made c.1820

There is a similar decanter in the Dudley Westropp, Irish Glass book, which described it as probably Waterford. I don't want to seem boastful but I think my example is better than his, as mine is more defined and I am not certain the stopper in his is original.

As nice as it is to have good quality, sometimes it is even better to have something that is pretending quite badly to be something better. The thing that gets me about this decanter and its like, is that it wouldn't trick you into believing it was the cut glass it is pretending to be at 50 paces, so why even try.

Reference: Irish Glass, Dudley Westropp, plate XXXVII

Reference: Irish Glass (pamphlet), Mary Boydell, plate 26

Height: 11 inches

Width: 5 inches

This is a one pint mould blown Prussian shaped decanter with three anulated neck rings and a mould pressed mushroom stopper. The moulding of the body represents combe cutting, panels of hobnails and vertical cutting, and panel cut shoulders. Made c.1820

This decanter is closer to the ones in the in the reference books in that it is not blown into it's mould as hard as the one above.

Reference: Irish Glass, Dudley Westropp, plate XXXVII

Reference: Irish Glass (pamphlet), Mary Boydell, plate 26

Height: 9 inches

Width: 3.5 inches

This is a Prussian shaped decanter with a combe moulded base, three anulated neck rings and a mould pressed mushroom stopper. There is shallow cutting to the bodys of a frieze of diamonds with fields of fine hobnails, surmounted by blazes, surmounted by husks, surmounted by more blazes. Possibly made by Penrose Waterford c.1810.

The decanter shown in the Dudley Westropp book is similar enough to this one. The shape is the same and it has frieze of diamonds with fields of fine hobnails, row of husks, but without the blazes. So although it is not marked I think it is near enough to say possibly made by Penrose Waterford.

Reference: The Decanter, Andy McConnell, page 237

Reference: Irish Glass, Dudley Westropp, plate XVIII

Reference: Irish Glass, Phelps Warren, plate 13b

Height: 11 inches

Width: 5 inches

This is a mould blown Prussian shaped decanter with three feathered neck rings and a mould pressed bullseye stopper. The body is engraved with an arch and masonic symbols, including set square and dividers, and sun, moon and stars. It has the initials DA engraved on the reverse. Made c.1800

Masonic decanters are sought after, not only by glass collectors but by collectors of Masonic ephemera, and this puts a bit of a premium on their value.

Reference: Irish Glass, Dudley Westropp, plate XIII

Reference: Irish Glass (pamphlet), Mary Boydell, plate 26

Height: 11 inches

Width: 5 inches

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