WMF / Geislingen - Bottle - Silverplated - Britannia

Antique WMF Art Nouveau Wine Carafe / Ewer (c. 1900)
Technical Details:
Product type: Antique wine carafe / wine ewer (Claret Jug / Ewer)
Manufacturer: WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik), Geislingen, Germany
Material: Green, hand-blown glass (with fine texture/knurling) & silver-plated metal mounting on Britannia metal base
Era / Style: Art Nouveau – around 1900
Total weight: 1462.1 grams
Height: approx. 31.5 cm (measured to the tip of the lid finial)
Design and artistic workmanship:
This magnificent Art Nouveau carafe is an outstanding collectible from the peak period of Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF).
The glass body: Crafted from elegant, light-green glass in a striking, segmented melon- or gourd-shaped form with a finely textured surface feel.
The metal mounting: The elaborately cast, silver-plated mounting encloses the neck and foot. It features a plastically worked, naturalistic Art Nouveau ornamentation of lush grapevines, leaves, and ripe grapes.
Handle & lid: The gracefully curved handle perfectly echoes the organic branch-and-leaf design. The hinge lid opens smoothly and closes flush; it is crowned by a plastically arranged cluster of grapes as a knob.
Punze analysis (stamp on the underside of the handle):
The carafe bears the original WMF factory stamps from 1886 to 1903:
WMFB: Stands for Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik – Britannia metal base (a high-quality tin-containing alloy used as a stable carrier for the silvering).
1/0: The specification for regular, solid silvering thickness (1 gram of silver per square decimeter of surface).
as: Stands for Antique-Silver finish – an artificial partial darkening (oxidation) of the depressions deliberately applied at the factory to give the relief greater depth and an elegant aged effect.
Condition:
The carafe is overall in very good, age-appropriate original condition. The thick glass is completely intact – free from cracks, chips or fractures. The metal housing sits firmly and stably on the glass body. On the underside of the spout, the metal shows an age-typical irregular coloring: areas are darker or blackened, while adjacent areas appear slightly lighter. The lid hinge functions perfectly. A highly representative and authentic showpiece for the historic table.