Wine-glass rinser: C/G.1-1939

Maker(s)

Glassmaker: Waterford Glass House

Entities

• Wine-glass rinser
• wine-glass cooler
• finger bowl

Categories

• Glass

Description

Lead-glass, mould-blown, and tooled. Plain bowl with flat base, vertical sides and two lips opposite to each other. Moulded fluting on lower part of the body and under the base. In the centre of the base, a plain area with the a.m. inscription. Moulded on the underside 'Penrose, Waterford'.

Notes

History note: Purchased by the Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum from Cecil Davis, Fine Art Dealer, London

Legal notes

Given by the Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

Place(s) associated

• Waterford ⪼ Ireland

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1939-04-17) by The Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

Dating

18th Century, Late
George III
Circa 1783 CE - 1799 CE

Note

This was previously identified as a finger bowl but the lips on either side indicate that it was a wine-glass rinser or cooler. The glass was placed with its bowl in the water inside, and its stem resting in the lip. It could also have been used as a finger bowl. Rinsers appeared around the middle of the 18th century and were still in use in the mid 19th century. A large number survive from c. 1780-1820, including sets of six or more. They are rarely dated but the Penrose mark on the base of this one indicates that it was made between 1783 and 1799 when the Waterford Glasshouse was owned by George and William Penrose.