The earlyglass toad rises once again from it's ooze...

and promises it's bi-annual promise to keep up to date with it's earlyglass blog...
So!...what has been happening since...erm September of last year? Well one of the best bits was a certain major auction at a London auction house that we aren't going to give free advertising to, but we did there pick up this superb sealed shaft and globe....

 

Some excellent iridescent patina that really makes it look it's age and a seal that shows the coat of arms of  Mahon of Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, Ireland. Sir Nicholas Mahon (d. 1680) was High Sheriff in 1664,1666 and 1674. He was a loyal military commander to both Charles 1 and Charles II.

Sobearing the dates in mind, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Charles II has poured an amicable glass of wine from this bottle in a late night session with his friend and loyal commander?

 

But of course the auction house in their wisdom failed to provide any of this provenance that surely would have helped the seller achieve a higher price, but for which omission we shall ourselves ever be grateful. Now this historical item is theoretically for sale, it is in our stock and theoretically one of you out there may one day own this bottle, but for now this is my precious, and my precious is mine, so keep away! slurp slurp, snigger, whilst I crawl away to my hole to eat some more raw fish and slugs....:)

That'll do for now...