Monteiths & Rinsers Photos

Up to the 18th Century wine glasses were expensive & sometimes even broken after use for show. Thus, many hosts only offered only one wineglass per person, no matter how many different wines were served. Bowls called rinsers or Monteiths became a table setting item so guests could rinse or store such glasses. Since the glasses were rinsed or stored stem end up, Monteiths evolved a series of indentations around the rim to support stems, a feature that helps identify these metal, ceramic or glass objects.

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Silver monteith from London, England at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.Silver Monteith wine glass rinser by Colin McKenzie of Edinburgh at Museum of Edinburgh. Edinburgh, Scotland.Silver Monteith to hold stemmed glasses by James Cockburn of Edinburgh at National Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland.Silver-gilt Monteith or punchbowl by Thomas Bolton of Dublin at National Museum Decorative Arts & History. Dublin, Ireland.
Silver monteith (1685-6) from London, England at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.Silver Monteith wine glass rinser (1698-9) by Colin McKenzie of Edinburgh at Museum of Edinburgh. Edinburgh, Scotland.Silver Monteith to hold stemmed glasses (1702-3) by James Cockburn of Edinburgh at National Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland.Silver-gilt Monteith or punchbowl (1704) by Thomas Bolton of Dublin at National Museum Decorative Arts & History. Dublin, Ireland.
Silver monteith by John Coney of Boston at Yale University Art Gallery. New Haven, CT.Silver Monteith by Thomas Sutton of Dublin at Ulster Museum. Belfast, Northern Ireland.Flower display in silver Monteith with Worcester Chamberlain porcelain ice cream pails in dining room at Scone Palace. Perth, Scotland.Silver montieth for rinsing wine glasses between uses from dinner service of Tsarina Catherine II for Perm Governorate by goldsmith Emanuel Gottfried Meisgeyer from Augsburg at Maximilian Museum. Augsburg, Germany.
Silver monteith (notched bowl for rinsing wine glasses) (c1705) by John Coney of Boston at Yale University Art Gallery. New Haven, CT.Silver Monteith (1726) by Thomas Sutton of Dublin at Ulster Museum. Belfast, Northern Ireland.Flower display in silver Monteith with Worcester Chamberlain porcelain (18thC) ice cream pails in dining room at Scone Palace. Perth, Scotland.Silver montieth for rinsing wine glasses between uses (1779-81) from dinner service of Tsarina Catherine II for Perm Governorate (Russian Empire) by goldsmith Emanuel Gottfried Meisgeyer from Augsburg at Maximilian Museum. Augsburg, Germany.
Silver Monteith punch bowl in dining room at Glamis Castle. Angus, Scotland.Silver monteith for cooling wine glasses by William Deny of London at National Museum of Wales. Cardiff, Wales.English glass wineglass & rinser at Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY.Wineglass cooler/rinser marked Francis Collins of Dublin at Ulster Museum. Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Silver Monteith punch bowl (1881) in dining room at Glamis Castle. Angus, Scotland.Silver monteith for cooling wine glasses (1701-2) by William Deny of London at National Museum of Wales. Cardiff, Wales.English glass wineglass (1720-30) & rinser (c1800) at Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY.Wineglass cooler/rinser (late 18thC) marked Francis Collins of Dublin at Ulster Museum. Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Blown cobalt-blue wine glass rinser with underplate & gilded decoration by Isaac Jacobs' Nonsuch Flint Glass Manuf. at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.English rinser & stirrup glass to hand wine to person on horseback at Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY.Blue wine glass rinser from England at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Wine glass rinser with arms of Marquess of Hertford from England or Ireland at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.
Blown cobalt-blue wine glass rinser with underplate & gilded decoration (c1800) by Isaac Jacobs' Nonsuch Flint Glass Manuf. at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.English rinser & stirrup glass to hand wine to person on horseback (c1810) at Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY.Blue wine glass rinser (c1820) from England at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.Wine glass rinser with arms of Marquess of Hertford (c1845) from England or Ireland at Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto, ON.
Waterford glass wineglass rinser at Bishop's Palace. Waterford, Ireland.Dining room table with Chinese Cantonware plates & wine rinsers to clean wine glasses between courses at Morris-Jumel Mansion. New York, NY.Glass rinser for cleaning wine glasses on dining room table at Drum Castle. Drumoak, Scotland.Horn-handled of gimbaled burner beside wineglass rinsers & finger bowl in dining room at Traquair House. Scotland.
Waterford glass wineglass rinser at Bishop's Palace. Waterford, Ireland.Dining room table with Chinese Cantonware plates & wine rinsers to clean wine glasses between courses at Morris-Jumel Mansion. New York, NY.Glass rinser for cleaning wine glasses on dining room table at Drum Castle. Drumoak, Scotland.Horn-handled of gimbaled burner beside wineglass rinsers & finger bowl in dining room at Traquair House. Scotland.
Rinser & wine glass in dining room at Georgian House museum. Edinburgh, Scotland.Derby porcelain dessert service plus cut glass wineglass rinser at Walker Art Gallery. Liverpool, England.Porcelain monteith from China at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY.Creamware monteith by Wedgwood of Stoke-on-Trent, England at Gardiner Museum. Toronto, ON.
Rinser & wine glass in dining room at Georgian House museum. Edinburgh, Scotland.Derby porcelain dessert service (c1820) plus cut glass wineglass rinser (1800-30) at Walker Art Gallery. Liverpool, England.Porcelain monteith (1700-20) from China at Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, NY.Creamware monteith (1770-80) by Wedgwood of Stoke-on-Trent, England at Gardiner Museum. Toronto, ON.
Wedgwood blue jasper wine glass rinser at Lady Lever Art Gallery. Liverpool, England.


Wedgwood blue jasper wine glass rinser (1787-1800) at Lady Lever Art Gallery. Liverpool, England.


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All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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