One of the most commonly encountered "other" styles of ink bottles are the "domed with offset neck" style (Covill 1971) which are simply called an "igloo" or "turtle" ink by collectors - names which are suggested by the shape (Nelson & Hurley 1967). Period glass companies called this general shape the "fountain," "monitor" (after the Civil War ship), or "fluted fountain" for those with a faceted lower side like the examples pictured above (Whitall Tatum 1880; Robert Alther 1909; Freeman 1964; Covill 1971). I'll just call them igloo inks here. Igloo inks were very popular and extensively used for at least 35 to 40 years - 1865 through into the early 1900s - particularly in schools. Since this distinctive style is unknown with either pontil scars or as machine-made bottles, this supports the noted date range well (Covill 1971; empirical observations).
The two ink bottles pictured above and again to the right are typical - and the most commonly encountered - examples of igloo ink bottles (empirical observations). These are embossed on the paneled lower sides with J & I E M which are the initials for the J. & I. E. Moore - a large ink producing concern located in Warren, MA. This firm allegedly first patented the shape on October 31st, 1865; the earliest examples have that patent date - but not number - embossed on the domed portion of the body. A check of Google Patents® did not, however, locate any patent for any ink bottle being issued on that date. Be that as it may, the J&IEM igloo inks are thought to be the first of the style with scores of imitations (example below) being produced through the end of the 19th century and a bit beyond as noted earlier (Alther 1909).
The pictured bottles are around 1.75" tall and 2" to 2.25" in diameter; click base view to see such. Both examples pictured were blown in cup-base molds and lack evidence of mold air venting which is a common feature of , though they were each finished differently. The example on the right above, which is probably the earliest of the two, has a rough burst-off finish which received only the slightest amount of rim grinding to remove some of the sharp edges. The other example (left) has a standard tooled finish. These bottles are by far most commonly seen in aqua color, though they can range widely from colorless to various shades of green and amber to even cobalt blue (Nelson & Hurley 1967; empirical observations). Click amber J & I E M ink to see a dark amber example that also has a tooled finish.
Other images of "other shapes" of ink bottles are available by clicking on the following links:
DAVID'S igloo ink - This is a subtle variation on the igloo ink theme though not from J. & I. E. Moore. It is embossed DAVID'S on the front which was certainly for the Thaddeus Davids Co. of New York, N. Y. (Covill 1971). It also has a burst-off finish, probably blown in a cup-base mold (unknown for sure), an dates from the 1865 to 1885 period. Click reverse view to see the backside of this same bottle. (Photos courtesy of American Bottle Auctions.)
Cone inks were used from the early 1800s to early 1900s. They often come in a variety of colors as shown in photo below:
Umbrella inks were a "fluted-cone stand", with eight connecting panels to form the sides; they were used from 1820s to 1880s. Pontilled umbrella inks in fancy colors are some of the most expensive inks sought by collectors.
Hexagonal and octagonal ink bottles were used 1835-1865.
Igloos (or Turtles) were used 1865-1895. See Lucy Faulkner's newsletter article on Turtle Inks.
Barrel shaped ink bottles were used 1840-1900. The barrel shape is bigger in the middle than the ends, like an old wine/beer barrel.
Square shaped ink bottles were used after 1860.
After 1900, most inks were cylindrical (like a spool of thread), square, or rectangular shaped.