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Giunti (?) for CVB Barfede, Cobalt Glass Fish Shaped Wine Bottle - 1960s

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GeodeJem's likes87 of 2629War Ship, London, Circa Mid 20 centuryAn Eastern Airlines Jetway Control Panel
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    Posted 6 years ago

    kwqd
    (1119 items)

    This fish shaped bottle is 13.5" long x 7" high x 1.75" wide. Probably blown glass into a mold. It is probably Empoli glass.

    These Italian wine bottles used to be pretty common in thrift shops 20 years ago in the US Midwest, but I haven't seen one for several years. Every time I want to remind myself what it is, I have to do an extensive Google search to figure it out. This time it was really tough and I found a few of these for sale and the sellers had no idea what they were. Putting it on CW to aid future researchers.

    Other examples I found had a paper label that read "Vino Toscano, Product of Italy, C.V.B Barfede" on the fish's left side and a label on the other side that read (in the US) "Imported by Sole US Distributor Per?ohe Wine and Spirits Elizabethtown, HJ". The "H" should have been an "N" but was a spelling error on the label. The fourth letter in the name of the distributor is incomplete on the only example of the label that I can find. These were most common in amber, with many fewer in green.

    This is the only blue/cobalt example that I have ever seen. No idea who made these, probably the Italian equivalent of Anchor Hocking, Hazel Atlas, etc., They were originally sealed with a cork. Seems like a really inconvenient shape to display in a store or to store at home, once opened. These may be very common in Europe. Mine looks very nice in a south facing window when the sun shines through it. Calling it a mystery in hopes that someone will be able to identify the maker.

    From https://www.catawiki.com/l/29688475-giunti-figli-large-vintage-italian-amber-glass-bottle-in-the-shape-of-a-fish-glass

    "Italy
    Object: Large Vintage Italian amber glass bottle in the shape of a fish
    Material: Glass
    Manufacturer/ Brand: Giunti & Figli
    Country of Origin: Italy
    Condition: Excellent condition - barely used with minimal signs of aging & wear
    Dimensions: 190×385×115 mm
    Weight: 1775 g
    This handsome qualitative fish-shaped amber glass bottle was made in the 1960s. This pressed glass bottle was originally conceived as novelty beverage packaging. The design includes a complex form of scales and fins with a large mouth as the opening of the bottle. This example is still in excellent vintage condition, free of any damage such as chips, cracks, or staining or misting of the glass surfaces. (See photos)

    The manufacturer most likely was the figural glass factory Giunti (Italy), who produced these cute fish bottles in at least two sizes and three or four different colours of glass. The glass walls of the bottle are fairly thick which makes them durable. They were originally sealed with a cork (this one is missing).

    This large heavy fish-shaped Italian wine bottle with lots of detail is a nice collectable item and looks great in front of a window or on a table catching the sunlight, a very decorative item
    .
    This fish bottle is of much better quality than the new wine bottles. Considerable attention has been paid to the design and manufacture.

    Size:
    Height cm - Weight 1775 grams
    Width 38.5 cm - Depth 11.5 cm "

    Unsolved Mystery

    Help us close this case. Add your knowledge below.

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    Comments

    1. kwqd kwqd, 6 years ago
      Thanks for liking and loving my fish bottle! I sent emails to a couple of European wine and spirit bottle makers to see if they know who made this.

      vetraio50
      Caperkid
      ho2cultcha
      Brunswick
      bracken3
      TassieDevil
      bottle-bud
      GeodeJem
      LaurenRedmond
      Newfld
      AdeleC
      fortapache
      Pickaboo
    2. kwqd kwqd, 6 years ago
      Thanks lisa!
    3. kwqd kwqd, 6 years ago
      Thanks AnnaB!
    4. Kimwik, 4 years ago
      Giinti and Figli 1960
    5. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      Thanks Kimwik! I found some more history in and auction, which I will add to the description.
    6. kwqd kwqd, 4 years ago
      It looks like Giinti (Ginuti) & Figli may have actually vinters, not glass makers. Still researching this.... I did find a secondary source reference to Giunti a maker of figural glass, but not sure if that is accurate. Thanks for mentioning this. It is a new avenue of research!

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