Exhibit Antiques has dated this Bristol Blue Glass Spittoon to the Victorian era.
A fine mid 19th century Bristol Blue lead glass spittoon, dating to c1850.
The broad rim has been heavily folded underneath, producing a substantial rounded edge.
Hand blown in a rich Bristol Blue lead glass, the metal contains small irregularities consistent with early to mid 19th century manufacture. The underside has a rough snapped pontil and displays extensive genuine age-related wear... exactly what we would hope to see on a functional glass of this age.
At 22cm in diameter, this is a substantial and genuinely practical example of the form, the broad dished rim providing a considerably larger receiving area than the smaller personal spittoons which were also produced during the 19th century.
Almost certainly designed for table or bar use....see Historical Context.
Date & Origin
England, c1850, Period of Queen Victoria.
Condition
Excellent. No chips, cracks or restoration. Good genuine wear to the foot.
Dimensions
Height: 10 cm
Diameter: 22 cm
Weight: 788 grams
Historical Context
Spittoons, also known as cuspidors, were genuinely functional objects and were widely used during the 19th century. The broad funnel-shaped upper section was designed to receive saliva and direct it through the central aperture into the reservoir below.
Their use was particularly associated with tobacco chewing, although spittoons had a much wider role at a time when spitting was considerably more socially acceptable than it would become later in the century. They could be found in homes, inns, public buildings and other communal spaces, while smaller personal examples and specialised medical and dental versions were also produced.
They were made in a surprisingly wide variety of materials and ranged from purely utilitarian vessels to highly decorative objects in ceramic, metal and glass.
Blue glass examples are well documented. Of particular relevance, the Science Museum collection contains an English Bristol Blue glass dental spittoon dated 1830–1860.
A particularly interesting survivor of Victorian social history.
Exhibit Antiques has dated this Bristol Blue Glass Spittoon to the Victorian era.
Specialists in 18th & 19th century antique glass
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Large 19th Century Bristol Blue Glass Spittoon C1850
