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Soldiers Home
Date Added: 24 August 2009
This is an old mold blown "pumpkinseed" flask bottle with a carved wooden ship inside it. This ship in bottle was believed to have been made by Thomas Edwards, a Civil War veteran and a resident of the Soldier's Home (at the time, the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers) in Dayton, Ohio. He died at the home in 1901. He varied his crossbars and ships a great deal on each while maintaining a similar theme. This ship is a 3 mast bark with red on the bottom of the hull, a thin yellow strip, and then green on the top section. The deck is painted blue with gold in the bow and stern sections. The masts and spars are well proportioned and the very tips of the masts and spars are painted black. The rigging is well done with standing and running rigging and shroud lines. A faded American flag suspends from the rigging. The ship is suspended midway in the bottle. The flask has bubbles in the glass as would be expected from a bottle this old. These flasks were made between 1860 and 1890. The stopper is made of wood and there is a curved "trick" cross piece. Tied to each side of this cross piece is a length of thread with 2 large and 4 small silver glass beads strung on this thread making it appear impossible to have done since it prevents the stopper from coming out. Outside the bottle, the wood stopper has a carved rounded piece of wood.
Type: Soldiers Home   Maker's Name: Edwards, Thomas
Category: Sailing Ships   Made Where: Dayton, Ohio
Bottle Size: 5 1/2" x 3 3/4"   Year Made: 1880-1890
Bottle Type: Pumpkinseed Flask