Exhibit Antiques has dated this Antique Balustroid Gin Glass to the Georgian era.
This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.
A fine example of an early 18th-century English balustroid gin glass, dating to c1740.
The bowl sits above an inverted baluster shoulder knop, with a slender plain stem and a further basal knop. The glass rests upon a conical folded foot, a characteristic feature of English drinking glasses from the first half of the 18th century.
Date & Origin
England, c1740. Period of King George II.
Condition
Excellent. No chips, cracks or restoration.
Dimensions
Height: 13cm
Rim diameter: 4.6cm
Foot diameter: 6.3cm
Weight: 108 grams
Historical Context
The first half of the 18th century witnessed an extraordinary rise in gin consumption in Britain, particularly in London, during a period that became known as the Gin Craze.
Gin had become increasingly popular following the accession of William III in 1689, when government policies encouraged domestic spirit production and placed restrictions on imported French brandy.
By the 1720s and 1730s, gin was widely available throughout London, sold in taverns, dram shops and small retail establishments. Its popularity was particularly pronounced among the urban poor, where inexpensive spirits offered an alternative to beer and other alcoholic drinks.
Unlike wine glasses, gin glasses were generally made with much smaller bowls, reflecting the stronger alcoholic content and the smaller quantities in which spirits were consumed.
This example dates to the height of the Gin Craze, before the Gin Act of 1751 introduced more effective controls on the retail sale of spirits.
Today, surviving Georgian gin glasses provide a fascinating connection to one of the most remarkable periods in Britain's social and drinking history.
Exhibit Antiques has dated this Antique Balustroid Gin Glass to the Georgian era.
This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.
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18th Century Balustroid Gin Glass C1740
