# Amber Kidney Demijohn marked "B"



## A Skinner (May 22, 2011)

This is my first time on this blog. I am a decorator and have recently discovered how attractive the demijohns are. I happened upon this one at a local consignment store and picked it up for $50. My photo doesn't show it but there is a large embossed "B" inside a circle on one side of the bottle, nothing on the bottom at all. I have been researching and I cannot figure out where it came from or how old it is. Go easy on me I may not be using the correct terminology. Any help from the more seasoned collectors would be appreciated!


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## cyberdigger (May 22, 2011)

Looks like you got a real bargain.. find the right house for it, and don't let them have it for less than 500.. we decorators have to eat too.. []


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## epackage (May 22, 2011)

Very nice demi, can you give the dimensions...Jim

 Oh yeah, welcome to the forum[]


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## RED Matthews (May 22, 2011)

Well A Skinner;  I have a lot of demijohns and have been studying them for several years.  You got a good bottle for the price but  think cyberdigger has over valued the bottle.  You said there is no marking on the bottom: not any type of empontilling mark?  I would like to see a picture of the B in a circle, and a closer detail of the side of the finish.  My first reaction is that it is probably French - because of the shape.  Can you see any line marks that would represent a mold sectional assembly to blow it in?  There must be if the B in a circle is on the side of the demi.  Hopefully you can show me some more details.   RED Matthews


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## cyberdigger (May 22, 2011)

Of course I overvalued the bottle.. the price I named includes a buyers _and_ a decorators commission.. if the sucker were to be offered at a bottle show, it might fetch 150 maybe. It might also sit there proudly all show long with many admirers but no buyers.


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## cowseatmaize (May 23, 2011)

> Well A Skinner;  I have a lot of demijohns and have been studying them for several years.  You got a good bottle for the price but  think cyberdigger has over valued the bottle.  You said there is no marking on the bottom: not any type of empontilling mark?  I would like to see a picture of the B in a circle, and a closer detail of the side of the finish.  My first reaction is that it is probably French - because of the shape.  Can you see any line marks that would represent a mold sectional assembly to blow it in?  There must be if the B in a circle is on the side of the demi.  Hopefully you can show me some more details.   RED Matthews


Hi, welcome. I'm with Red. I was thinking French and mold blown for sure. It's hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like a 3 piece mold. That means one seam line around the middle and 2 up the sides to the neck in this case. It's probably 1890-1920. I'd like to norrow it down for you but it's tough with a picture and I'm not to familiar with European glass.
 How big is it? It looks relatively small, about 18"-20" in height.
 Value it tough, here in the US I think that's a fair price and you should be able to get more as an interior design piece. In the country of origin (assuming French etc.) it may have been a bit much. I really don't know.
 Nice color and a lot of people like them with reeds, cattails or other stuff in them.


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## A Skinner (May 23, 2011)

Wow thank you everyone for your replies! Here are some more photos. It was hard to capture the "B" in the circle that is embossed or sealed into the glass. It is 14" tall and 15" wide.


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## A Skinner (May 23, 2011)

Here is a photo of the bottom I saw no markings here.


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## A Skinner (May 23, 2011)

And here is a photo of the top.


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## RED Matthews (May 23, 2011)

Hello again A Skinner;  So I have not heard of the layout of the mold seams yet.  I would expect a horizontal seam around the bottle where the sidewall changes from the taper to the shoulder.  Then I would expect there are two mold seams going up the shoulder and no doubt end when it got to the straight of the neck form.  
 Now then, I have developed some interest from your pictureosted of the B at 7:49:12 AM.   It looks like the B in a circle is on the shoulder and the raised line to the right of the B looks like the horizontal mold seam we have mentioned.
 I would like to see a couple angular pictures that showed me more about the form of the seams.  RED Matthews


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