Vintage French Demi-John/Dame Jeanne/Bonbonne Large Green Glass Bottle - 8 Litre
This a lovely vintage French Demi-John. Originally it was encased in wood but that has disintegrated with age.The interior was a little dirty, but it has actually cleaned up very well, and the overall condition is very good. There are some marks, impressions and bubbles in the glass that would have occurred during the original formation (mainly toward the bottom of the bottle) but no cracks. (See Close Up Photos). On the lip of the bottle neck, there is a raised number 8, which we believe designates the capacity of 8 litres.
We believe that it is likely to be from the mid 20th-century rather than being a really early one.There is no pontil mark and you can make out a seam mark where the glass would have been joined.
This is a lovely item, perfect for use in window/shop displays, or simply for displaying dried flowers.
These bottles were often used to store eau de vie once the oak cask aging process was completed. When the master distiller wanted to stop the maturation of the cognac, it was transferred to glass demijohns. Aging in oak, beyond 50 years, does nothing to enhance the taste of cognac, and unlike wine, cognac will not mature when stored in glass. Demijohns were in wide use from the 1700s right through to the 1900s.
The term demijohn or Dame-Jeanne as it\'s known in France, refers to any glass vessel with a large body and small neck. Legend has it that on a stormy night in 1347, the Countess of Provence (Queen Jeanne of Naples) took refuge in the home of a glass blower in Provence. Nervous at the prospect of blowing glass for the Queen, the Provençal glass blower overdid the blowing, creating an enormous bottle with a capacity of ten litres. When he wanted to call the bottle \"Queen Jeanne,\" the modest queen suggested calling it \"Dame Jeanne\" instead.
We have one other larger Dame Jeanne that we will also be shortly listing for sale. It appears in the background of a couple of the photos. This listing is just for the one depicted in the first photo and in the foreground of any shots where two are shown..
Dimensions:
Height - 38 cm approximatelyWidth/Diameter - 25 cm approximatelyNeck Width - 5 cmHole Diameter - 3 cmCapacity - 8 LitresWeight - 2.030 kg approximately
Due to the fragility of the Demi John, it would be preferable for it to be collected from us in Guildford (GU2 area).We can however package it up and despatch using the Simple Delivery Parcel Courier Service.
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