Historic Colonial Williamsburg John Greenhow GLASS DECANTER

Historic reproduction octagonal shaped GLASS DECANTER from Colonial Williamsburg.

The design of the dark olive green bottle is based on a bottle from the Colonial Williamsburg Museum Collection excavated from the John Greenhow Store site on Duke of Gloucester Street. Greenhow's seal is affixed to the side of the decanter and reads, Jno/Greenhow/Wms.burg/1770. 

Greenhow was an enterprising Williamsburg merchant with a store on Duke of Gloucester Street from the 1760s until his death. A museum gift shop with his name exists on the original site. 

Bottle seals or crests made from small blobs of glass and applied to the necks and shoulders of bottles were popular in Colonial America and considered status markers. Often they bear dates and are embossed with names of individuals and families, taverns, vineyards, schools, retailers, and military units.

The decanter measures 8" high and 4 ¼” wide. The diameter of the seal is 1 ¾”. The concave bottom is about 1" deep and has a rough pontil scar from the glass blowing process. Most likely, Blenko Glass Company of West Virginia was commissioned to make these reproduction decanters. The condition is great with no cracks or chips.

Note:  Historic bottles should not be used for food or beverage storage.