Antique Wine Rinser

An elegant remnant of a wonderfully elaborate era of dining, this Antique English Cut Glass Wine Rinser once performed a very specific role at the well-appointed dinner table. Beautifully cut with rows of polished oval facets and deep vertical decoration, the small bucket-shaped vessel sparkles brilliantly in the light, while a starburst cut into the heavy base provides a final flourish. Most distinctive are the two opposing lipped notches at the rim, cleverly shaped to cradle the stems or feet of wine glasses as their bowls rested in the water below.

Popular during the Georgian, Regency, and early Victorian periods, wine rinsers were placed on the dinner table filled with cool water, allowing diners to rinse and refresh their glasses between different wines and courses. Before elaborate ranks of specialized wine glasses became commonplace at each setting, these ingenious little vessels offered an elegant way to prevent the flavor of one wine from lingering into the next while also cooling the glass before it was refilled.

Both practical and beautifully decorative, this sparkling cut glass example is a delightful survivor of a dining ritual now largely forgotten. Today, put it back to work holding a petite bottle of wine, fill it with flowers, use it for cocktail garnishes or bar tools—or simply enjoy it as a fascinating bit of table history.

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. In very good antique condition. At time of listing six rinsers available, with slight variation in decoration. 1/2"D Base x 10 7/8"H.4 1/2"W x 5 1/2"L x 3 5/8"H