19thc Clear Glass Teakettle, Turtle Or Igloo Ink Bottle / Well

This odd looking clear glass object is an ink bottle in a style popular from the 1860's through 1890's. The spout once had a metal cap. Ink bottles of this type came in several shapes - the most common had a higher body with a flat top and a higher spout - they were called teakettle ink bottles. Others, like this one, were shorter with a round top and a lower spout at the side - they were aptly called turtle or igloo inkwells. The term teakettle is often used even for the bottles of th...e other type. The bottle holds between 3 and 4 tablespoons of liquid.The bottle measures 3 3/4 inches long, 2 1/4 inches at the highest and 2 5/8 inches at the deepest. There is a stylized flower design on top of the spherical part and scalloped lines matching the "petals" and about 1/2 inch below them. There's a seam in the middle, and the glass appears to be mold blown.  There's a fractured area on the inside bottom directly below the opening in the spout - I don't know if it's a flaw from manufacture or it someone jammed something down in the bottle with too much force.


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