A bottle is a narrow-necked glass container of various shapes and sizes used to store and transport liquids. The mouth of the bottle is usually sealed with a cork or a closure. Bottles are often decorated with labels and can be identified by the number, size, and shape of the mold marks or by a ground-rim/lip finish. Bottles are often made of transparent or translucent glass. Bottles are primarily designed for use with alcoholic beverages and some household products but are also used for medicines, perfumes, and other items. Bottles may be produced by hand or by machine.
The following list of terms is provided to help with understanding some of the terminology used throughout this web site and in collector jargon. Some of the terms are easier to see than describe and many are explained in pictures on the General Bottle Morphology page. Click the terms in bold italics for more information and/or a picture or illustration.
Mold seams – The meandering “ghost” like mold seams on the body, neck, and base of machine-made bottles from a parison (two-piece) mold. These seams are conclusive evidence of machine manufacture. Also referred to as suction scars, Parison mold lines, and a similar term, parting lines.
Ground rim/lip – A finish on a hand-made bottle that has been ground on the top surface to enhance sealing and closure fit. This is most commonly seen on older canning jars and on hand-made bottles with outside screw threads. It is sometimes inaccurately referred to as a ring, lip, or heel.
A blown bottle – A glass bottle that has not been made by a press-mold or by the blowpipe of a semi or fully automatic machine. Bottles of this type were traditionally shaped and finished by the maker using the air pressure applied to the bottle by the mouth. Also known as a mouth-blown bottle or hand-made bottle.
Iron pontil scar – The mark left on the base of a bottle by the end of a red hot iron pontil rod. The scar is generally circular though it can be oblong, oval, square or rectangular. The scar is frequently covered or embedded with a black or gray deposit of ferric oxide, known as a pontil mark. Alternatively, it is referred to in collector jargon as a “graphite” or “improved” pontil mark.
Deterioration – The processes and appearance of chemical or mechanical degradation of glass to the point that it is no longer suitable for its intended purpose. The deterioration can lead to breakage, cracking and chipping as well as loss of transparency or luster. Also referred to as wear, devitrification, and patination.
Cockney rhyming slang meaning “arse” or lose your bottle. “Bottle it” is a variation of this term. Also see the crockney slang page.
