B. Edwards of Belfast Irish Decanter

This is another B. Edwards of Belfast decanter, with two feathered neck rings, a mould blown fluted base and a press moulded bullseye stopper. The body is etched with thistles and swags and the initials JW. The glass works of Benjamin Edwards, formally a glass worker in Bristol, were first recorded in Belfast in 1781 and continued until 1829.

This more of your standard wares from B.Edwards of Belfast. Others with the exact same style of thistle pattern are pictured in reference books. All of this etching was done by freelancers who would have set themselves up near the glassworks to catch passing trade.

The other thing to note about this and the previous decanter, is the unfitted stoppers. A number of Irish glass makers of this period, including Belfast, didn't fit the stoppers, they made them so they just kind of hung at the top of the neck. This meant the glass had no cold working on it what so ever by the glassworks.