top of page

Carafes

Wine and spirits were not imported in bottles, but in large vessels. The smallest was an anchor containing 37 liters, a barrel containing 116 liters, the largest, so-called beef head, containing 230 liters.

When serving, therefore, carafes were needed. They could stand on a side table where a waiter made sure that the glasses were filled, or there could be a small carafe by each envelope so that you could fill the glass yourself. Slebne Mund Caraffer is a model from the Danish court. All the members of the royal family had their little mouth carafe with monogram. 

The carafe on foot with leaves and stopper is called Count Moltke's carafe in Weyse's model book. This indicates that it was originally an order from Count Moltke, the king's trusted employee, and that it was then included in the general range.

One of the most common models is "Gersdorfs Formede". It is spherical with vertical or turned grooves, made by blowing into a mold. All three glassworks, Nøstetangen, Hurdal and Gjøvik have produced variants of it. Hadeland also produced it for a period, but then marked with "copy" under the bottom.

Carafes, both round and angular, which are decorated with raspberries and zirates, can be assumed to have been made at Gjøvik glassworks.

The later popular cork bottles for aquavit are in Weyse's model book only reproduced in a large edition of 2 liters in green glass from Aas glass cabin. In Gjøvik it was decorated with Zirater and raspberries.

Square bottles of white glass were intended to stand in a box or crate with separate compartments for travel use.

bottom of page