Ink Bottle Embossed with a Bird

Description

This is an antique “turtle” or “igloo” style dome ink bottle made of light aqua-tinted glass.

• The Design: It features a pictorial depiction of a bird (frequently identified as a cardinal) perched on a tree branch. Details are embossed (raised lines) molded directly into the glass.
• The Body: Surrounding the lower shoulder area right above the unpanelled base is a decorative band of 12 molded scallops or arches. The overall dome-top form with an asymmetric, offset neck was historically nicknamed the “igloo,” “turtle,” or “Monitor” style (due to its resemblance to the low-profile gun turrets on Civil War ironclad warships).

How It Was Made

This piece is a classic Blown-in-Mold (BIM) bottle.

• The Mold: Molten glass was blown into a multi-part metallic iron mold, which formed the shape, the base, and the raised design. You can clearly see the distinct vertical mold seams running up the side and across the dome.
• The Neck & Lip: The offset neck terminates in a straight mouth with a factory-sheared and ground lip. The rough texture from this post-molding grinding process can be seen from a top-down view.
• The Base: The bottle features a smooth, un-pontilled base with a few trapped native air bubbles.

Who Made It & When

• Manufacturer: These utilitarian bottles were produced by anonymous American glass manufacturers. While the maker isn’t explicitly stamped on the glass, this specific pictorial design is documented as Figure 638 in William E. Covill Jr.’s definitive text, Ink Bottles and Inkwells.
• Period: It dates to the late 19th century, typically circa 1870–1890s.