Found this in an abandoned barn.

[RelicDude]

Yesterday I was trekking through the woods looking for cellar holes when I stumbled upon an old decrepit barn that's about to fall over. Not trusting the floor I decided to explore underneath that's when I found this huge bottle sitting in the mud. This thing has a huge applied lip and some beautiful whittle to it. But my question is. Is this Demi pontiled? Thanks for your help - Justin

 

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[Harry Pristis]

Not pontil-scarred. Nice find. Likely dates to 1920s - 1940s.

 

[RelicDude]

Really? That new . They were still bim at this period?

 

[Goldenplug]

Definately not that new. 1920s-1940s?

 

[epackage]

I have to disagree with Harry on this one, certainly not a machine made bottle, 1900ish, maybe 1890...

 

[smokeythecat]

Very pretty.

 

[GaRebel1861]

Dang! What a nice find and it will display very nicely. My thought of age is 1890-1900 as well. No doubt a keeper and I would go back and look for more. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Harry Pristis]

I have to disagree with Harry on this one, certainly not a machine made bottle, 1900ish, maybe 1890...

I suggested a late date for this bottle because demijohns were perhaps the last sort of utility bottle to be blown in automatic bottle machines. Once they were blown in bottle machines, demijohns were given embossed lettering and decorations and many had molded handles or bail rings at the shoulder.

Many demijohns of the traditional form were hand-blown in molds late into the early 20th century. These late demijohns tend to be very well made, uniform, with a tooled lip. By mid-century, glass demijohns became less important in commerce, replaced by plastic vessels.

Maybe 1940s is too late for this bottle. I can go along with 1910s - 1930s.

 

[Bass]

Justin, any idea to the size or capacity for this piece? Nice find and glad to see it come out intact. Definitely a turn of the century piece that could date before or after.

 

[RelicDude]

I suggested a late date for this bottle because demijohns were perhaps the last sort of utility bottle to be blown in automatic bottle machines. Once they were blown in bottle machines, demijohns were given embossed lettering and decorations and many had molded handles or bail rings at the shoulder.

Many demijohns of the traditional form were hand-blown in molds late into the early 20th century. These late demijohns tend to be very well made, uniform, with a tooled lip. By mid-century, glass demijohns became less important in commerce, replaced by plastic vessels.

Maybe 1940s is too late for this bottle. I can go along with 1910s - 1930s.

Very interesting Harry I had know idea that they were still making utility bottles in this fashion in that era. Regardless I think it's s beautiful piece of glass and looks awesome in my collection.

 

[RelicDude]

Justin, any idea to the size or capacity for this piece? Nice find and glad to see it come out intact. Definitely a turn of the century piece that could date before or after.

Hey bass I believe the size is probably a two gallon . I have an earlier new England made one and I think that one is a Gallon.

 

[unclemac]

I would pee my pants to find that one intact.

 

[Bass]

Hey bass I believe the size is probably a two gallon . I have an earlier new England made one and I think that one is a Gallon.

Wow! Super size me with an extra large! I didn't realize that thing was that big.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Hey bass I believe the size is probably a two gallon . I have an earlier new England made one and I think that one is a Gallon.

Maybe I missed the dimensions of your bottle, RelicDude. I guessed that is was 15 - 15.5 inches tall and about 6 inches in diameter. If that's the case, here's the closest I can come to it. This bottle, still in its wicker cover, dates to about 1880. It is of colorless or of the faintest-aqua glass.

I know that it is pre-TOC because it has an applied lip . . . That is, the lip is tooled from a separately-applied blob of glass, a pre-1880 technique. You can use your finger to feel the step inside the neck where the lip-blob was mated to the neck. Compare in this manner the colorless demi with your olive-green demi.

Note the imperfections in the applied lip of my example. There are bubbles and creases and an uneven lip rim. These are tooling flaws which tended to disappear as molds and tools became more sophisticated.

As far as I can tell, the body of my example is rather unremarkable, with little character as with the "orange peel" surface like your find. (This puckering is the result of being blown in a cold mold and has nothing to do with the age of the glass).

The volume of my wickered bottle is one gallon. I know this because I just filled it with water to measure the contents.

​

 

[RelicDude]

Maybe I missed the dimensions of your bottle, RelicDude. I guessed that is was 15 - 15.5 inches tall and about 6 inches in diameter. If that's the case, here's the closest I can come to it. This bottle, still in its wicker cover, dates to about 1880. It is of colorless or of the faintest-aqua glass.

I know that it is pre-TOC because it has an applied lip . . . That is, the lip is tooled from a separately-applied blob of glass, a pre-1880 technique. You can use your finger to feel the step inside the neck where the lip-blob was mated to the neck. Compare in this manner the colorless demi with your olive-green demi.

Note the imperfections in the applied lip of my example. There are bubbles and creases and an uneven lip rim. These are tooling flaws which tended to disappear as molds and tools became more sophisticated.

As far as I can tell, the body of my example is rather unremarkable, with little character as with the "orange peel" surface like your find. (This puckering is the result of being blown in a cold mold and has nothing to do with the age of the glass).

The volume of my wickered bottle is one gallon. I know this because I just filled it with water to measure the contents.

View attachment 1228117View attachment 1228118​

Ver cool info Harry . The dimensions to the Demi are 14 inches tall and almost 20 inches around.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Ver cool info Harry . The dimensions to the Demi are 14 inches tall and almost 20 inches around.

That size would provide a volume of one gallon. As I said initially, nice find! You have a large, unique bottle . . . there is no other exactly like it. Many similar bottles are gone, vulnerable and broken. Luckily for us, some survived, utilized or set aside in barns or cellars for possible future use. Hope you have a good place to display it.