A very rare Westerwald salt-glazed grey stoneware four sided case bottle flask. Hand-built constructed with slabs and a rounded top. The walls have incised scrolling floral decoration with blue cobalt colouration background. The flowers (or leaves) are scored with criss-cross lines. The rounded shoulders have an impressed flower motive (12 petals) on each corner. The short round neck has an (off-centre) internal screw thread to accept a stopper. The base is flat with a small shallow off-centre circular recess, and is fully glazed. German.
These Westerwald (or Westerwalt) slab flask bottles are extremely rare and there are very few examples illustrated in the available literature. Most examples that are illustrated are late C17th in date and have applied medallions on the shoulders rather than impressed designs. Due to the lack of matching, or even similar, examples to this flask, it is difficult to apply a date with certainty. It may be older than the dates I’ve given but very unlikely to be younger.
Final image is for comparison only. The mask jug is listed separately.
Pot ID: AP/1549
Dimensions: 164mm high to top of rim.
Net Weight (grams): 400
Date: c.1750-1800
Condition Report:
Small chip on side of rim. Some very old use related nibbling on the screw thread. One vertical corner edge has 3 or 4 small shallow chips. Small chip on bottom corner edge of base. There are several tiny stress lines – probably shrinkage cracks that occurred during making – the longest is about 20mm and all are isolated /internal.
