Featured Betjemann's Tantalus

Picked this up this afternoon

Unfortunately the key is missing, one bit of one of the stoppers is missing (but it still closes off the decanter nicely) and one decanter has a chipped rim.

I haven't been able to find any info with the patent no.
And I didn't find any info on Sportclub Lebong, that had this as a 1st price for English Billiards (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_billiards)

 

nice historic set !!!!!

 

I think the inscription is Dutch. First prize in English Billiards, class A. This may have been exported and inscribed there.

 

That would make total sense, at least to me.

 

Really nice Marote.

 

Now, if you had a gasogene, you could pretend you were Sherlock Holmes.

 

It is indeed Dutch, with the old spelling of 'English' (now it would be 'Engels' instead of 'Engelsch'), and I'm not sure if 'Biljard' is an old spelling, or if it's incorrect, because the spelling in Dutch is 'biljart'. 'Biljard' in Dutch is a quadrillion.

I had seen that there's a Lebong in Indonesia, so Dutch East Indies makes sense, but I didn't find any information on the club. I only found a 'Gaspool Billiard Lebong', but I have no idea if there's any connection between the 2.

 

I had never heard of a gasogene ... but now I want one!

 

Bronwen nailed it-there's a gasogene at 221 B Baker St.You can usually find them on Ebay,they made quite a few of them into lamp bases.

 

The golden name "Betjemann" it should be silver plated and come up a treat, do you think the strapwork at the bottom has been changed? Looks a little straight forward than normal?

 

The seller said it tested silver.

I didn't notice anything odd with it, but I'll have to check that tomorrow.

 

https://www.davidduggleby.com/auctions/2067/DecorativeAntiques-CollectorsSale/49550/
Slightly different model, but the strapwork seems to be identical

 

Would it be silver or plate ? Either way- blasted handsome article-well done Mar !

 

English made with Indonesian Dutch markings; that has to be a rarity. I don't know if it's valuable, but it's rare.

 

Ditto Ruth-Some items are so rare and arcane there's no audience for them but one or two-but they're still an amazing item.

 

If they're rare enough, no one knows they exist so no one is looking.

 

There is also a tantalus.

Sometimes colonies hang on to earlier spellings/pronunciations when language in the home country has moved on. That may be the case here. You won't hear 'gotten' in England, but it's standard usage in the US.

 

Yep-verily 'gotten' is still in common usage stateside . Tantalus is derived from the cursed King Tantalus in Greek Mythology.

 

It would be the perfect name if they glued the stoppers in so you couldn't get at the booze! This is both tempting & convenient.