A bottle is a container for holding liquids. Bottles have been used throughout history to store a wide variety of items including beverages, chemicals, foods, medicines and personal care products. Bottles are typically made from glass, metal, or plastic. Bottles made from plastic are often recycled, and some are designed to be reusable and refillable. Plastic bottles are molded using a variety of techniques such as injection molding, extrusion blow molding, reheat and blow molding and co-extrusion blow molding. Bottles made of glass are generally formed using a variety of manufacturing processes such as press and blow, hot and cold blow and hand blowing. Bottles can be made from many different types of glass, and can be finished with a wide variety of decorations and labeling.
The word “bottle” can also refer to a particular kind of bottle shape – such as the calabash bottle/flask (see Bottle Typology page) that was popular during the mid-1850’s – 1870’s. The calabash shape resembles the hard shelled gourd-like fruits of the tropical American calabash plant – Crescentia cujete. Calabash bottles are covered in more detail on the Liquor/Spirits Bottles typology page.
Bottle mouth – The distinct upper portion of a bottle neck, usually with one or more screw threads, that can be either one-part or two-part. A one-part finish has the neck’s distinct lip and collar, while a two-part finish usually includes both a cap-like lid and a lever wire (White 1978).
Heel – The lowest part of the body that curves into the base. Heels can be a single-part, two-part or three-part. (See the General Bottle Morphology page for more information on the body and heel).
Free-blown – Glass shaped by manipulation by hand or with tools and not by use of a mold, hence no mold induced markings (White 1978). Also known as offhand glassware or free blown bottle.
Rear label – The molded or stamped label on the bottle’s reverse side, usually on the bottom. The rear label is rarely used on modern bottles but was commonly used in the past and can be a useful clue to date bottles.
Bakelite – An early phenolic thermosetting plastic that was patented in 1927 as a bottle closure material, and later used for thousands of other items including phonograph records, billiard balls, telephone and radio cases (Berge 1980). It is much easier to visualize than describe; click bail for a picture.
Block mold – An alternative term for the parison mold on a press and blow machine which is a largely one piece mold. It is the most common method for making machine-made bottles.
Polyethylene terephthalate – The resin identification code for PET is 1. Typically called PE, PETE or polyester, this is the most popular plastic for bottles used to contain carbonated drinks and water because it has a good balance of strength and weight. It is produced by the reaction of ethylene glycol, a colorless viscous hygroscopic liquid, and terephthalic acid, an organic compound.
