Victorian Cobalt Blue Glass Brandy Decanter with Gilt Decoration

A highly attractive Victorian cobalt blue glass Brandy decanter, retaining a possibly original matching stopper and decorated with surviving gilt lettering and ornament.

The decanter is of elegant mallet or bottle form, with rounded shoulders, tapering neck, applied neck ring and circular disc-form stopper. The body is richly coloured in deep cobalt blue glass, with gilt decoration to the front comprising the word BRANDY within a decorative foliate and chain cartouche. Additional gilt bands survive around the neck and stopper.

Cobalt blue glass decanters of this type were popular throughout the late Georgian and Victorian periods, particularly for spirits such as brandy, rum, gin and Hollands. They were intended both for practical table use and for display on a sideboard or drinks tray. The vivid blue glass, combined with gilt lettering, gave them strong decorative appeal and made the contents immediately identifiable.

This example is especially appealing because the named Brandy decoration survives clearly, making it more desirable than plain blue decanters or examples with heavily rubbed labels. The stopper appears appropriate in colour and style, though it is safest to describe it as possibly original.

Comparable cobalt blue and Bristol blue decanters are represented in the collections and catalogues of specialist glass dealers, and examples are regularly handled by dealers in Georgian and Victorian table glass. I have not identified a separately recorded institutional example of this specific decanter.

An attractive and usable nineteenth-century decorative glass decanter with strong display appeal.

Condition: Very good condition.

Possibly original stopper present. Gilt lettering and decoration remain attractive, with some expected age-related rubbing. Light handling wear. No obvious cracks visible from the photographs.

Date: c.1850–1880
Height: Approximately 22.8 cm including stopper
Material: Cobalt blue glass with gilt decoration
Construction: Blown glass decanter with applied neck ring and stopper

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