Lot 346: Green Glass Pontilled Bottles original early chest

Excellent. The box is amazingly crude and ancient, it truly looks like a pirate's treasure chest, and when you open it, in my mind it IS a treasure chest! The metal parts are corroded, quite heavily in places. The wood has some borer holes and is quite stained in a dark colour. This may be smoke stain. This case is lockable, it has the key and is still fully functional! The inner lid has some inlaid paper that looks to be an early form of calendar of some sort. Latin words can be seen for May, June and July, each of which describe the number of days as well. On to the bottles now, they are about 125 mm high, all have a pontil and seven of the eight have the original pewter cap. The pewter mount around the lip is threaded with the flat cap screwing on to each. One cap has SW around a crown and a flower. The other six have CB around a crown and a flower. Research indicates that the crowned rose pewter mark used on these was common in England in the 1700s, however they never put their intials in their, only continental pewter makers did. If you could research pewter makers with initials of SW and CB, you may find a reasonably accurate date on these? The SW one has inner haze, some usage wear under base and minor marks. The first CB one at left rear also has inner stain. This has an extremely fine star fracture to one side towards shoulder. Small flake to base corner. Some usage wear under base and minor marks. The next on in at the front has inne haze. Shallow largish open bubble to inner shoulder. Some usage wear under base and minor marks. The next one at the rear also has light inner haze. This has a star crack from an inclusion on one side with a fine bruise between two legs of the crack. There is a fine star fracture on the opposite side. Small scuff on one side. Some usage wear under base and minor marks. Back to the front, this next one is hazy internally. Scuff on one side which is small. Some usage wear under base and minor marks. The next one at the rear does not have the cap. Some inner haze again. Bruise alongside pontil would be a making mark. Some usage wear under base and minor marks. The last front one is a bit hazy internally. Some fine scuffs and scratches. Unusual making mark under base. Some usage wear under base and minor marks. The last one has a little inner haze. Some fine scratches and the odd scuff mark. Some usage wear under base and minor marks. An extremely significant item of great age and character, this is from the James A. Lerk collection. Grade: N/A Estimate: $2500 - 3000