Posted 6 years ago
kwqd
(1181 items)
This fish shaped bottle is 13.5" long x 7" high x 1.75" wide. Probably blown glass into a mold. It is probably Empoli glass.
These Italian wine bottles used to be pretty common in thrift shops 20 years ago in the US Midwest, but I haven't seen one for several years. Every time I want to remind myself what it is, I have to do an extensive Google search to figure it out. This time it was really tough and I found a few of these for sale and the sellers had no idea what they were. Putting it on CW to aid future researchers.
Other examples I found had a paper label that read "Vino Toscano, Product of Italy, C.V.B Barfede" on the fish's left side and a label on the other side that read (in the US) "Imported by Sole US Distributor Per?ohe Wine and Spirits Elizabethtown, HJ". The "H" should have been an "N" but was a spelling error on the label. The fourth letter in the name of the distributor is incomplete on the only example of the label that I can find. These were most common in amber, with many fewer in green.
This is the only blue/cobalt example that I have ever seen. No idea who made these, probably the Italian equivalent of Anchor Hocking, Hazel Atlas, etc., They were originally sealed with a cork. Seems like a really inconvenient shape to display in a store or to store at home, once opened. These may be very common in Europe. Mine looks very nice in a south facing window when the sun shines through it. Calling it a mystery in hopes that someone will be able to identify the maker.
From https://www.catawiki.com/l/29688475-giunti-figli-large-vintage-italian-amber-glass-bottle-in-the-shape-of-a-fish-glass
"Italy
Object: Large Vintage Italian amber glass bottle in the shape of a fish
Material: Glass
Manufacturer/ Brand: Giunti & Figli
Country of Origin: Italy
Condition: Excellent condition - barely used with minimal signs of aging & wear
Dimensions: 190×385×115 mm
Weight: 1775 g
This handsome qualitative fish-shaped amber glass bottle was made in the 1960s. This pressed glass bottle was originally conceived as novelty beverage packaging. The design includes a complex form of scales and fins with a large mouth as the opening of the bottle. This example is still in excellent vintage condition, free of any damage such as chips, cracks, or staining or misting of the glass surfaces. (See photos)
The manufacturer most likely was the figural glass factory Giunti (Italy), who produced these cute fish bottles in at least two sizes and three or four different colours of glass. The glass walls of the bottle are fairly thick which makes them durable. They were originally sealed with a cork (this one is missing).
This large heavy fish-shaped Italian wine bottle with lots of detail is a nice collectable item and looks great in front of a window or on a table catching the sunlight, a very decorative item
.
This fish bottle is of much better quality than the new wine bottles. Considerable attention has been paid to the design and manufacture.
Size:
Height cm - Weight 1775 grams
Width 38.5 cm - Depth 11.5 cm "
Thanks for liking and loving my fish bottle! I sent emails to a couple of European wine and spirit bottle makers to see if they know who made this.
vetraio50
Caperkid
ho2cultcha
Brunswick
bracken3
TassieDevil
bottle-bud
GeodeJem
LaurenRedmond
Newfld
AdeleC
fortapache
Pickaboo
Thanks lisa!
Thanks AnnaB!
Giinti and Figli 1960
Thanks Kimwik! I found some more history in and auction, which I will add to the description.
It looks like Giinti (Ginuti) & Figli may have actually vinters, not glass makers. Still researching this.... I did find a secondary source reference to Giunti a maker of figural glass, but not sure if that is accurate. Thanks for mentioning this. It is a new avenue of research!
Thanks, vinetia, ho2cultcha and Jenni!