I find it hard to credit that this pretty little Victorian ink bottle was a throw-away item, of no more value than the empty juice cartons, tins and the general supermarket packaging trash that we junk attempt to recycle. They were cheap of course, perhaps a penny or two. The base is only 1.5 inches square (4 cms). When it was bought it would have had a cork stopper, suitably sealed. But once opened it was eminently functional. The neck is angled for easier nib dipping and then there are ridges across the top for resting one’s stick pen, and the ridged sides and heavier base would also make spillage less likely.
The one in the photo was found behind our old privies when we were having a hedge of alien snowberry dug out. Graham had a fine time pretending he was on Time Team and excavated quite a little stash – mostly medicine and condiment bottles. But this is my favourite find. It reminds me of Roman glass and I love the colour. I haven’t been able to get its innards quite clean of Silurian clag, but it’s just the thing for a single small flower, a rose bud for instance, one that some careless gardener has knocked off while not paying due care and attention.
Tish Farrell 
a veritable treasure trove behind the privie – this is a real gem and I particularly liked the bent bottle neck for ease of use – those Victorians thought of everything. Such a practical generation. Now I dread to imagine what our troves might look likewhen someone digs up our privies in years to come
p.s. the field finds you turn over are also marvels (in previous post) – love the patterns and the sense of history under your feet.
Hello Laura. That’s just it – the sense of history under one’s feet. But as for the ‘archaeology of us’ – the prospect is somewhat hair-raising. What will our discarded stuff say about us?
if the Halloween & Christmas kitsch is anything to go by, it will say we lost all sense of proportion and taste!
I agree, Laura. We were out on the Severn Valley Railway yesterday, and all the stations on the line had been invaded by ghosts and ghouls, devils and skellies. Though part of me also thought it quite funny!
I love that line!
This is lovely! Can anyone come and dig in your garden, Tish? I’ll check for flights 🙂 :0
All pals can automatically put in for digging duties. The spot behind the privies is in much need of attention. Better wait till spring though 🙂
What a wonderful find. Keep digging.
In the space we once had a large garden we found buckets of stuff. Mostly nails and other metal objects.It was clear that the place was once someones dumping ground. Nothing as grand as an ink well.
Archaeologists’ favourite places to dig – other people’s rubbish pits – from the Stone Age onwards 🙂
I too love the colour and also the ridges along each of the sides. The photo makes it look so much larger. I’m trying to imagine this tiny little bottle only an inch and half square.
I should’ve put something in the photo for scale. First rule of archaeological illustration!
hahaha! I’m just learning that little trick myself!
Beautiful! You could start your own museum at this rate.
And there’s me trying to de-clutter!
Well … chuck out all that stuff in Mister G’s shed for start and now you have space for you museum.
Charge 5 quid a throw and before long you’ll have … ooh … a tenner!
Moving in on THE shed is so tempting. Tho chucking out the lathe would require several able bodied chaps, and that might just be met with some serious resistance.
My goodness, what a find!
Such a fantastic find. I like to imagine its history. 💗
Yes, and especially in relation to our cottage, and who might have lived here. We have a huge open hearth which makes us wonder if there was some industrial cottage industry going on here. Would the little bottle of ink have been used for keeping accounts? Tantalising questions.
What a lovely find, Tish. It gives me goosebumps thinking of it lying there all those years waiting to be discovered and treasured.
Yes, it makes me feel like that too. It also seems a bit like conjuring.
Exactly so, Tish.
What a gorgeous find. I’s love to have that sitting on my desk!
It is a sweet little thing.
What a glorious find . . . and lovely lines too! Like Debbie I’d like to borrow that for my desk!!
There seem to be lots for sale on Ebay!
Hee hee, I’ll have a look later
Better not to, though there do seem to be job lots and dead cheap.
Don’t tell me that!!
That is a treasure, Tish! What a grand find! 🙂
This is so lovely. I too am charmed by its looks and functionality. Handwriting was never the same after the invention of the Biro.
You are absolutely right about the biro. I used to have a very neat and legible hand when I used a fountain pen. Better connection between hand, pen, page and thought processes perhaps too.
Love these things. I wondered why the neck was slanted… How clever.
I learned to write with a “plume Sergent-Major” and a similar ink bottle.
Couldn’t find the translation… a metallic quill? 🙂
I know what you mean – I think. A stick pen with a metallic nib that you could slide off when it needed replacing?
That’s the thing. I was probably the last generation to learn how to use those things. 😉
PS. Since the tip is split it allowed to write thin or thick lines as French handwriting was designed then.
I do remember them, but never used one at school.
You were lucky. Rather messy things. Imagine at 6, dipping the quill in the ink bottle. Splashing ink on your sheet, etc… 😉
Have a nice week-end, Mensahib
Happy weekend to you and yours, Brian.
Asante sana Memsahib. (U 2)
Ah, the stories that little bottle could tell! 😀
Perhaps I should take into a quiet corner and interrogate it (gently of course).
Pen and paper at the ready! 😀
Ha!
😀
A wonderfully misshapen and hand-made quality, the thickness of the glass.
A little bit wonky, isn’t it 🙂