The Bowes Museum Blog

How about this for a novelty flask? This circa 1750s flask is shaped in the form of a mermaid seated on the back of a dolphin raised on a mound painted to simulate waves. The dolphin and mermaid are picked out in blue and manganese purple. Her head is pierced with a hole, which forms the entrance to the flask.

 

 

Shaped like a pilgrim’s bottle raised on an oval shallow foot this flask dates from around 1850s. It has two flattened sides with dark blue glazed grotesque heads, each with a moustache in the form of an acanthus leaf, their foreheads end in acanthus leaves and there are goat’s horns curling around to form the four lugs.

The flask has a tall cylindrical neck surmounted by a domed cover. From the chin of each mask head sprouts two large rams horns moulded in shallow relief and curling around to the remaining two sides, these are glazed in mustard and blue. The remainder of the decoration against a cream ground is formed of terms and exotic birds and other grotesque ornament. Marked on the base ‘Gien’ surmounted by a castle – possibly from the town of Gien on the Loire.

 

This flask from around 1800 is made from plain glass, it has a very flat curved shape, curved, with a short plain neck and with a silver cap. It’s cut all over; with deep notches on the edges, panels of strawberry diamonds at each end and in the centre of each side you can see a plain oval panel outlined by grooves and fine diamonds.

This 1600 flask is carved in relief with two panels each portraying a boor carousing, on one side it shows a seated man wearing a hat pouring wine or beer into a cup, the reverse shows him passing water into a chamber pot whilst continuing to drink! The metal spring action ‘nozzle’ can be unscrewed from the top. When depressed, a hole in the inner tube aligns with the outer tube, letting the contents of the flask flow through the nozzle.

This flask has been carved with panels containing respectively a lyre and two helmets and it’s been set with two red stones like eyes to give it the semblance of a grotesque face.

This probably 1600s flask is carved in relief with the Last Supper and scenes from the Passion. The base is also carved in relief with a portrait in a roundel, inscribed ‘HERMAN TIRI’, who would appear to be a bishop or other ecclesiastical member as he wears a cape and carries a bible in his left hand. The screw-on lid is carved in relief with heads and the reverse shows an image of various bishops. 

This 19th century delicate and ornately decorated heart shaped scent flask has a hinged cover. You can see its shield shaped panels that are lightly engraved with scrolls and foliate scrolls. It has a hexagonal neck with a spherical knop and two loops adorn its shoulders from which it hangs by a chain from a small central oval pendant surmounted by a loop.

This flask dating from the 1830s is moulded in relief with a picture of a dancing tramp.  The cylindrical jug can be carried with a loop handle, which springs from the base of the neck. Of flask shaped form with two convex sides. Moulded in relief with a dancing tramp. The jug narrows towards the neck, which is cylindrical. From the base of the neck springs a loop handle. Inscribed on the base ‘Published by F. Wetherill, Nov.25, 1835 …’

It’s thought this flask from the late 18th to early 19th century could be in the form of a cocoa bean. The flattened sides are moulded with vertical ribs, each decorated with alternate yellow and blue wavy bands and green dots. These terminate towards the neck on either side in a husk moulded in shallow relief picked out in yellow-ochre. The flask is made from pewter, with a band along the flattened edge of the flask fitted with five lugs (one missing).

You can learn more about our collections, from fine art to ceramics and fashion, here: https://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/Collection/Explore-The-Collection