Pontil Bottle - How old?

[VTColonialDigger]

I found this bottom of a pontil bottle about a year ago when we removed a building on our property. The bottle was poking out of the dirt under the building. I put it on a shelf in the garage and forgot about it. I recently remembered it and dug it out of the garage. Our house was built somewhere around 1800 (give or take a few years) and people have been on the property since the 1780s (basis for giving a date to the bottle).

Here are a few photos of the bottle.










I know that pontil bottles were made up until the 1850's-1860's.

Two things strike me as strange about this bottle, the first being that this bottle is clear, while most pontil bottles are brown, amber, or green. The second is that this bottle is so small. I know these bottles were used for liquor, vinegar, oils, wine, etc, but this bottle seems too small to be used for anything like this (around 1 3/4 inches across the bottom).

I was just curious if there was any way this bottle could have any sort of date range attached to it, and would also like to hear what other folk's ideas are for a use of such a small bottle (and why it might be clear?) Any ideas/ information will be appreciated.

Thank You

VTColonialDigger

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[DownNDirty]

Could have been a medicine bottle; I have found bottoms of clear pontiled bottles at 18th century sites. As far as the bottle's age I would guess no later than the early 1800s.

 

[cologneman]

The color looks aqua in the pics, if so not to unusual to see a Pontil. It's round shape and size makes it more likely a sauce bottle. If there was more to it then identifying would be easier. i would agree with you on the time period it was made, probably 1840. If your property is 1800 it will have a dump with more of those and hopefully not broken.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

That's not a pontil. It's called a kick up. Most likely what you have is a wine bottle.

 

[masterjedi]

It is an "open" pontil bottle. You can see it in the pics if you look closely. They made many of them in clear glass. They also made them very small. Much smaller than this bottle. The only way to really date it is to have seen how the top was applied. It dates 1840 to 1860.

 

[No gold in NY]

That's not a pontil. It's called a kick up. Most likely what you have is a wine bottle.

I also go with a kick up. I see no sign of a pontil.

 

[Dug]

VT, most of my pontil bottles are clear or light aqua so don't fall into the color trap on pontil bottles.


It's both. It is a kick up with an open pontil mark on it. I am in the middle of cleaning one now that may be a near match for this bottle see below pics; bottle measures 2 1/4 at base and 10.5 inches tall. I suspect mine was a wine. I have another in my tumbler now that is an open pontil with even a higher kick up.

 

[Dug]

It is an "open" pontil bottle. You can see it in the pics if you look closely. They made many of them in clear glass. They also made them very small. Much smaller than this bottle. The only way to really date it is to have seen how the top was applied. It dates 1840 to 1860.

Totally agree. Here is my smallest open pontil that stands just under 1.5" tall. Could you imagine the process to create this tiny little thing?

 

[VTColonialDigger]

Based on your suggestions, I believe it could be any number of things. I looked up a few suggestions and here are some pictures of suggested bottle types


Here are 18th century medicine bottles. They seem somewhat close to what I have.


Here is a sauce bottle, also a very similar bottle.



This website said this bottle was an 1840's wine sampler. This bottle is close too.

Thank you for all the ideas & comments.

VTColonialDigger

 

[VTColonialDigger]

VT, most of my pontil bottles are clear or light aqua so don't fall into the color trap on pontil bottles.


It's both. It is a kick up with an open pontil mark on it. I am in the middle of cleaning one now that may be a near match for this bottle see below pics; bottle measures 2 1/4 at base and 10.5 inches tall. I suspect mine was a wine. I have another in my tumbler now that is an open pontil with even a higher kick up.

View attachment 1476009

View attachment 1476010

Dug, How old is this bottle? Was curious because this bottle looks like it is very similar to mine.

 

[Dug]

Dug, How old is this bottle? Was curious because this bottle looks like it is very similar to mine.

I'm not exactly sure. I had assumed it was early to mid 1800s. A buddy and I dug a privy in an early section of New Orleans back in the late 90s. I recently got a bottle tumbling set up and have finally gotten around to doing some cleaning/polishing of my collection.

 

[DownNDirty]

VT, most of my pontil bottles are clear or light aqua so don't fall into the color trap on pontil bottles.


It's both. It is a kick up with an open pontil mark on it. I am in the middle of cleaning one now that may be a near match for this bottle see below pics; bottle measures 2 1/4 at base and 10.5 inches tall. I suspect mine was a wine. I have another in my tumbler now that is an open pontil with even a higher kick up.

View attachment 1476009

View attachment 1476010

Regardless of the age, Dug is correct. The term "kickup" refers to the conical, raised part on the bottom. The "pontil" is where the molten glass was attached to the blowpipe when the bottle was blown; the part that sealed off the pontil is called a "pontil scar," and the OP's bottle clearly has one-hence it is a blown glass bottle with a kickup.

 

[Dug]

One last BTW, as Cologneman pointed out very good chance your property will have more. I would start looking first from the back door of your house about 30yds out and be looking for depressions in the ground that may have been the privies. You locate the privies and you run a good chance of finding whole bottles down in them if you dig them out carefully.

 

[VTColonialDigger]

I actually DO have a dump on my property, BUT, it is a much more modern dump. (from around 1900 I think) here are a few things I have found in it.





I'm going to have to look around my property to find the old dump!

Thanks everyone

 

[Dug]

I actually DO have a dump on my property, BUT, it is a much more modern dump. (from around 1900 I think) here are a few things I have found in it.



Thanks everyone

Are you sure you have reached the bottom of the dump? Just like privies, the earlier stuff will be deeper as it was deposited first.