Mason & James’s Open Pontil Umbrella Ink

Overview: A mid-19th-century 8-sided umbrella ink bottle, standing 2 ⅜ inches tall. This specimen is rendered in a classic blue aqua glass and features a heavy “whittled” texture, giving the surface a beautiful, rippled character.

Embossing: The bottle is vertically embossed on two adjacent panels:

• Panel 1: MASON &
• Panel 2: JAMES’S The lettering is crisp and bold, standing out well against the whittled background.

Manufacturing Details:

• Lip: A classic inward rolled lip, a characteristic diagnostic feature of early ink bottles from this era.
• Base: Features a sharp, jagged open pontil scar, indicating the bottle was hand-blown and detached from the blowpipe using a glass-tipped rod.
• Texture: The glass is heavily whittled (appearing as a wavy or “orange-peel” texture), likely caused by the hot glass coming into contact with a cooler mold during production.

Condition & Appearance: The glass has excellent clarity with a few scattered “seeds” (tiny air bubbles) and rich character. The octagonal umbrella shape tapers elegantly from the wide base to the narrow neck, and the aqua color glows when backlit.

Quick Specs

• Type: 8-Sided Umbrella Ink
• Date: Circa 1840s–1860s
• Height: 2 3/8″
• Color: Blue Aqua
• Base: Open Pontil
• Lip: Inward Rolled