Decanter
Datec. 1880
MediumBlown glass, etched and engraved
Dimensions12 1/8 × 7 1/2 × 2 3/4 inches (30.8 × 19.1 × 7 cm)
Stopper: 4 1/8 × 2 1/8 inches (10.5 × 5.4 cm)
Decanter: 9 1/4 × 7 1/2 × 2 3/4 inches (23.5 × 19.1 × 7 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Margaret Gray Thomas.
Object numberOT1951.69.a-.b
CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextThroughout the 18th and 19th centuries, decanters were among the most important serving vessels on the dining room table. They were used to serve a variety of alcoholic beverages, from beer to cordials, but most importantly wine. The act of decanting or pouring the wine from the spout of the bottle to the neck of the decanter, separated the wine from its sediments, resulting in a clearer and more appetizing beverage.
This decanter descended through the Thomas family before it was given to the museum in 1951 by Margaret Gray Thomas (1871–1951) the benefactress of Telfair Museums’ Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters.
