Set 3 Cut Glass Decanters Serving Bottles Silver Plated Stand Victorian c 1860

A set of three clear cut glass decanters or serving bottles with double pouring lips and later Stuart crystal stoppers, sitting in a silver plated bespoke fretted and crested triform stand. This is a beautiful, very decorative and useful antique item dating to circa 1860, the third quarter of the 19th century.

These lovely mouth blown tall round bottle shaped decanters are hand made, each have been cut with the same pattern with pillar and long thumb cutting on the lower part of the bottle, large cross cut relief diamonds to the shoulders and a plain vertical flute faceted or panel cut neck. Each has a double lipped scalloped rim pouring spout and a ground pontil base.

The ornate silver plated triform stand has three relief moulded shell shaped and rococo scrolled paw feet with an acanthus leaf scroll design. The fretted up-stand has a decorative scrolling design with fan shapes and a Greek key upper border.  The scrolling low relief border rim has more acanthus leaf scrolls and geometric stylised coronets. 

The central carrying handle is also decorated in the same low relief moulded shell shape scroll design with a central acanthus leaf scroll moulding equally spaced between the handle and the relief moulded fruit or berry shaped bottle spacer. This loop topped columnar handle is fastened to the base with a wing nut and washer, there is a locating peg to prevent the handle from turning. 

There is a cartouche to the front engraved with a family crest that we so far have been unable to identify. The crest which has been engraved with hatching to depict the heraldic tinctures. The shield is red with a central silver band with three red walking lions with the right fore paw raised, the other paws on the ground and the head looking out (lion passant guardant). The shield is surmounted with a wreath of green and silver cloth with a lion standing erect in profile on one hind leg with the fore paws raised holding an open book. The book may be a symbol of manifestation, learning or willingness to listen. Some people may refer to the lions as leopards.

The heraldic terminology or blazon is usually presented as "escutcheon gules fesse ordinary pale charged with three lions passant guardant gules fesswise surmounted with a torse vert and argent lion rampant holding an open book.

It is in very good antique condition very presentable, with some wear to the plate commensurate with age and use. The stoppers to the decanters are Stuart crystal replacements. The decanters each have some blooming and the tips of some of the scalloped facets to the edge of the pouring spout have some tiny chips. Each decanter has been engraved with a number on one of the pouring lips, it must have originated in a very large house as they are numbers 8, 11, and 12.

The stand is 11 inches (28 cm) high and has an approximate diameter of 18 inches (46 cm). The decanters are approximately 11 inches (28 cm) high, 3 1/2 inches ( 9 cm) diameter and 13 3/4 inches (35 cm) high with the stopper in place.

This is a heavy, good quality item and weighs 5 kg unpacked. This is a lovely piece - highly decorative as well as extremely useful!

Free international postage with this item.