Turtle Ink Bottle – J & I E M

The glass color of this bottle is a vibrant “teal blue green”. The letters “J & I E M” stand for J. & I. E. Moore, a company known for these distinctive “turtle” ink bottles, and patented them in 1865. This type of bottle was popular and used extensively for over thirty years.

Additional Details on the “Turtle” Ink Bottle

The J. & I. E. Moore ink bottle, commonly called a “turtle” ink, is a classic example of late 19th-century American glass production.

• Manufacturing Technique:  A snap case was a tool used to hold the hot glass bottle during the finishing process. This allowed the glassmaker to shape the neck and lip without leaving a pontil mark (a rough scar) on the base, which was a common feature on earlier bottles. The bottle’s crude sheared and ground lip indicates the neck was trimmed while the glass was hot and then smoothed down. This was a quicker and more cost-effective method than creating a fully finished, tooled lip. The mold line is visible between the letters I and E.
• The “Turtle” Shape: The domed body and offset neck gave the bottle a low center of gravity. This design was practical, making it less likely to tip over on a desk and spill ink. The wide base also provided stability. This functionality is likely why the design was so popular and remained in production for so long.
• Embossing: The embossed letters “J & I E M” identify the bottle’s manufacturer, J. & I. E. Moore of Warren, Massachusetts. The “J” and “I” likely stood for brothers, with the “E” and “M” representing their full last names. However, many sources simplify it to J. & I. E. Moore with “M” standing for Moore. The small bubbles and slight imperfections seen in the glass are typical of bottles made during this era.

A second example of a teal green J & I E M bottle added in September 2025 and described as follows: Teal green J & I E M monitor or igloo ink bottle from John & Isaac Elijah Moore Ink Co. of Warrant Mass. J & I E M is embossed boldly on the five panels. It was hand blown in mold, has a ground sheared lip, and is 1 ⅝” high. This bottle, patented by John Moore in 1865 was called a “Monitor” shape as a tribute to the famous Civil War Union Navy ironclad gunboat called The Monitor.