Clear Glass Ship's Decanter with Wide Flat Base, Ringed Neck and Heavy Flat Disc Stopper
A plain clear glass ship's decanter (captain's decanter): a very wide, low, rounded body with a flat bottom and a smooth central kick-up, rising to a long cylindrical neck topped by a flared lip with a rounded collar ring just below. The stopper is a thick, flat, round glass disc on a short stem with a frosted ground plug. It carries no cutting, etching or maker mark. Maker unknown. It resembles the shape of Toscany's Clipper ship's decanters made in Romania, which also have flat-topped stoppers, but those are etched with a sailing ship and this one is plain.
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Why ship's decanters are so wide
Ship's decanters were made with a squat, broad base so they were less likely to tip over than taller decanters, according to Colonial Williamsburg, which dates an English example to around 1805 and notes that ship captains used the type. The shape stayed popular for wine and spirits, and modern makers still produce it.
Wide clear ship's decanter with a flat disc stopper
This clear glass ship's decanter with a flat disc stopper has the classic captain's or ship's decanter shape: a very wide, low, rounded body with a flat bottom, sweeping up into a long, narrow cylindrical neck. The glass is clear, colorless with a faint cool gray-lavender tint in the thick parts, smooth and fairly heavy, with no cutting, etching or color. Much wider than it is tall, the body makes the decanter hard to tip over.
Neck and stopper: at the top of the neck is a thick flared lip, and just below it a separate rounded collar ring circles the neck, so the top reads as two stacked rings. The stopper is a heavy, flat, round glass disc (a puck shape), thick and smooth-edged. It sits on a short clear stem that ends in a tapered plug, ground to a frosted matte finish so it seats snugly in the neck. Everything else on the stopper is clear and polished.
Base: the bottom is broad and flat on the outside edge, with a smooth, rounded kick-up (punt) pushed up into the center of the body, visible as a clear dimple from above and below. No rough pontil scar, acid-etched mark, maker's signature or label text was seen on the base or the stopper.
On this copy: the decanter stands roughly 10 to 11 inches tall with the stopper and the body is roughly 8 to 9 inches across, judged against a hand in photos 2, 4 and 5 (not measured). The base and lower body have many fine scratches and light wear rings, and the inside is lightly hazy in spots. Small scuffs mark the edge of the stopper disc. No chips or cracks were seen.
- Type: Ship's or captain's decanter for wine or spirits
- Body: Very wide, low, rounded body with a flat bottom
- Glass: Clear, colorless with a faint gray-lavender tint where thick; plain, no cutting or etching
- Neck: Long and cylindrical, with a flared lip and a rounded collar ring just below it
- Stopper: Thick flat round disc (puck) on a short stem with a frosted ground plug
- Base: Smooth central kick-up (punt); no pontil scar seen
- Marks: No marks or labels seen
- This copy: Roughly 10 to 11 inches tall with stopper by eye; base scratches, light haze, small stopper edge scuffs; no chips seen
No marks seen
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- who made the clear ship's decanter with a round flat stopper
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Comparable listings, ranked by delivered price
Live listings on ebay.com, checked October 2026. Asking prices, not sold prices.
| Listing | Price | Shipping | Delivered | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage Hand Blown Glass Ship's Decanter, Ringed Neck eBay | $125.00 | $20.00 | $145.00 | Listed | View ↗ |
About the Hand-Blown Ship's Decanter with Disc Stopper
What is a decanter with a very wide flat bottom called?
A ship's decanter, also called a captain's or mariner's decanter. The broad, low base keeps it from tipping, which is where the name comes from.
Who made my plain ship's decanter with a flat round stopper?
This one has no mark, so the maker is unknown. Similar shapes were sold by many glass companies, including etched versions such as Toscany's Clipper decanter, but this decanter is plain.
How do I tell if my glass decanter is hand blown?
Look for slight unevenness in the glass, a punt or pontil mark on the base, and a stopper plug ground to fit. This decanter has a smooth kick-up in the base and a frosted ground plug, but no rough pontil scar, so hand blowing is not confirmed.
What is a ship's decanter worth?
A similar ringed-neck ship's decanter was listed on eBay at $125, while plain ones often list for much less. We have no confirmed sale for this exact decanter.