Page 39 - SPRING CATALOGUE APRIL 2024

Duncan
Dunbar Jnr (1803-1862) was one of the richest men in Britain when he died leaving £1,500,000 in his will. His Scottish born father Duncan Dunbar senior (1764-1825) founded his business at Rotherhithe
555. EARLY LONDON HAND THROWN INK BOTTLE. 4ins tall. An absolutely delightful,
556. EARLY HAND THROWN LONDON SALT GLAZE
BEER BOTTLE. 8.3ins tall. An extraordinarily early beer container, probably c. 1790? Fairly
attractive tiny size, early (c.1800?), salt glaze vessel.
light salt glaze but varies considerably, lovely warm golden orange peel effect to shoulder areas. Crude, hand thrown, curved
The glaze also, unusually, covers the under side too.
Slightly tapering outwards main body featuring
three impressed lines: Fortnums/ Japan/ INK up to shoulder, neck sloping in to a
lip, sloping shoulders
below with straight sides ending with a protruding bottom edge (rear
flake). Impressed below neck DUNBAR/ BEER MERCHANT/ LONDON. Couple of side hairlines (stable) which should bleach out easily. An outstanding and significant early offering. 8.5/10. NR. £600-800+
wonderful rounded lip. Hand thrown. Slight
under edge flake (old) and some surface
marks from barnacle cover, easy to clean off
if need be? A very rare offering indeed. 8.8/10.
NR. £600-800+
Not surprising the c.1815 stoneware bottle with ‘DUNBAR/ BEER MERCHANTS/ LONDON’ impressed was found by a mudlarker in the Thames. It may well have fallen in at Rothehithe?
in 1779. His export business at Ropemakers Fields was as a Brandy, Wine and Beer merchant but he noticed a gap in the market - providing alcoholic drinks to the various outposts of the British Empire, using his contacts in the East India Company and various suppliers to build up a lucrative trade. Duncan Jnr became a
shipbuilder and owner of the largest sailing fleet ever
assembled, 39 ships dominating the trade
routes to Australia, New Zealand,
India, and Asia. He also founded
two insurance companies and two banks
Colloquially often shortened to just Fortnum’s, it is tempting to attribute this bottle to Fortnum & Mason of Piccadilly. Established in 1756 by William
Fortnum and Hugh Mason this product seems unlikely for an upmarket grocer. It should be remembered William Fortnum was a footman to
Queen Anne where he had a side-line in selling on half used candles in the royal palaces and in the 1790’s operated a postal service. However, it is more likely it was sold by another William Fortnum, a
stationer at Ball Alley of Lombard Street (recorded there 1804-10). The
‘Japan Ink’ it contained may have been for writing but the term was usually applied to a kind of sticky black paint made with wax: varnish-
like. It was used on everything from bedsteads to pâpier-maché.
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