Decanter

Dateca. 1765

MediumColorless lead glass

DimensionsOverall: 9 3/4 × 4 1/4in. (24.8 × 10.8cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, Mr. Michael L. Westfall in Memory of Susan K. Westfall

Object number2025-20

DescriptionDecanter: flared mallet shaped quart decanter with tapered cylindrical neck with flat, extended lip, ground inside to receive stopper; polished bottom. Wheel engraved with a design mimicking a bottle tag: suspended from a chain, "MADEIRA" within a cartouche consisting of a thick border line surrounding a scalloped cross hatched design, around the cartouche, an engraved flower, leaves and a large flower with grapes and leaves. A small "32" lightly engraved on the back of the neck.
Label TextFragments of a pint decanter bearing the same engraved motif and the word “MADEIRA” were recovered at the site of Henry Wetherburn’s Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia. Madeira decanters are rare above ground finds and while Colonial Williamsburg’s glass collection retains a variety of decanters with other engraved inscriptions revealing their intended contents—White Wine, Port, Ale, Claret—this is the first example of a Madeira engraved decanter to enter the collection. The engraving mimics a bottle tag.
InscribedWheel engraved "MADEIRA" within a cartouche. A small "32" lightly engraved on the back of the neck.
Provenance[Christopher Havey, Portland, ME]; 2025-present, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)