Case with bottles and stopper
Label Text
George Washington may have kept his personal store of liquor in this wooden case during the Revolutionary War. Reinforced with iron straps and a substantial iron lock, it was built to withstand heavy use and to safeguard the valuable contents. Its fitted interior once held as many as thirteen corked bottles, six of which survive.
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Date1750-1799
DimensionsOverall (A): 13 1/8 in. x 18 7/8 in. x 13 in. (33.34 cm x 47.94 cm x 33.02 cm)
Other (B.1): 2 1/4 in. x 1 1/4 in. x 1 1/8 in. (5.72 cm x 3.18 cm x 2.86 cm)
Other (B.2): 10 1/4 in. x 4 7/8 in. x 3 1/4 in. (26.04 cm x 12.38 cm x 8.26 cm)
Other (C): 10 1/4 in. x 4 1/2 in. x 3 1/16 in. (26.04 cm x 11.43 cm x 7.78 cm)
Other (D): 10 5/16 in. x 4 7/8 in. x 3 1/4 in. (26.19 cm x 12.38 cm x 8.26 cm)
Other (E): 10 1/8 in. x 4 7/8 in. x 3 1/4 in. (25.72 cm x 12.38 cm x 8.26 cm)
Other (F): 9 3/4 in. x 4 1/4 in. x 3 1/16 in. (24.77 cm x 10.8 cm x 7.78 cm)
Other (G): 10 in. x 4 3/4 in. x 3 3/16 in. (25.4 cm x 12.07 cm x 8.1 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Marsh, 1874
Object numberW-188/A-G
DescriptionA: Wood and iron-reinforced case; the wooden boards are mitered and glued together; iron straps are nailed to all exposed joins; twelve iron brackets are placed along the edges of the front, rear, and side walls; the reproduction lid, now broken, was originally attached to the base by an iron strap hinge; iron locking mechanism is installed in the interior of the front wall; the thirteen interior compartments are constructed from slotted wooden dividers; the floor of the interior is lined in green wool baize; two wrought iron bail handles attached with cotter pins grace the side walls. B1:
Colorless glass stopper; tapering ground shank with short neck and flattened oblong finial; pontil mark on bottom.
B2:
Colorless glass case bottle; half-post dip-molded rectangular body with rounded corners, horizontal shoulders, and a cylindrical neck terminating in a rounded trail string rim; engraved decoration on the shoulders, face, rear, and sides of the bottle: series of dots along the shoulders terminating in a drop of three dots at each corner, left-facing tulip with lobed leaves emanating from a vase on the face and rear, a sprig of three lily of the valley flower buds and leaves on the sides; unground pontil mark on base.
C:
Colorless glass case bottle; half-post dip-molded rectangular body with rounded corners, horizontal shoulders, and a cylindrical neck terminating in a rounded trail string rim; engraved decoration on the shoulders, face, rear, and sides of the bottle: series of dots along the shoulders terminating in a drop of three dots at each corner, left-facing tulip with lobed leaves and a feathered flower bud on the face and rear, a sprig of three lily of the valley buds and curled leaves on the sides; unground pontil mark on base.
D:
Colorless glass case bottle; half-post dip-molded rectangular body with rounded corners, horizontal shoulders, and a cylindrical neck terminating in a rounded trail string rim; engraved decoration on the shoulders, face, rear, and sides of the bottle: series of dots along the shoulders with a circular flower, stem, and three leaves at each corner, left-facing tulip with lobed leaves and three lily of the valley flower buds emanating from a vase on the face and rear, a sprig of three lily of the valley flower buds and leaves on the sides; unground pontil mark on base.
E:
Colorless glass case bottle; half-post dip-molded rectangular body with rounded corners, horizontal shoulders, and a cylindrical neck terminating in a rounded trail string rim; engraved decoration on the shoulders, face, rear, and sides of the bottle: series of dots along the shoulders with a circular flower, stem, and three leaves at each corner, left-facing tulip with lobed leaves and two lily of the valley flower buds and leaves emanating from a vase on the face and rear, a sprig of three lily of the valley flower buds and leaves on the sides; unground pontil mark on base.
F:
Colorless glass case bottle; half-post dip-molded rectangular body with rounded corners, horizontal shoulders, and a cylindrical neck terminating in a rounded trail string rim; engraved decoration on the shoulders, face, rear, and sides of the bottle: series of dots along the shoulders terminating in a drop of three dots at each corner, front facing tulip with lobed leaves on the face and rear, a sprig of three lily of the valley flower buds and leaves on the sides; unground pontil mark on base.
G:
Colorless glass case bottle; half-post dip-molded rectangular body with rounded corners, horizontal shoulders, and a cylindrical neck terminating in a rounded trail string rim; engraved decoration on the shoulders, face, rear, and sides of the bottle: series of dots along the shoulders with a circular flower, stem, and three leaves at each corner, left-facing tulip with lobed leaves and two lily of the valley flower buds emanating from a vase on the face and rear, a sprig of three lily of the valley buds and leaves on the sides; unground pontil mark on base.
Published ReferencesMount Vernon Ladies Association, General Washington's Swords and Campaign Equipment (Mount Vernon, VA: Mount Vernon Ladies Association, 1944), 48-49.
Benson J. Lossing, The Home of Washington; or Mount Vernon and its Associations, Historical, and Pictoral (New York, New York: Virtue & Yorston, 1871), 360-361.
Benson John Lossing, Mount Vernon and its Associations: Historical, Biographical, and Pictoral (New York, New York: W. A. Townsend, 1859), 346-347.
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