Fish Bottles
No one knows for certain when the first fish dishes surfaced, but one speculation is that the items were tamer takes on quirky Victorian majolica, richly shaded earthenware depicting scenes from nature, including underwater vignettes. From these colorful depths emerged simpler pieces that celebrated a single creature: the humble fish, long a symbol of life and fertility. These dishes, manufactured from the mid-nineteenth century through the twentieth century, were ceramic, porcelain, glass, silver, cast iron, or cast aluminum. Many were souvenirs from coastal cities. Others carried goods -- spirits from Portugal, wine from Italy -- produced by areas celebrating their maritime heritage. On the other side of the world, in Japan, fish-shaped china appeared on tables, a serving idea still in good use. And one of the most enduring designs, a bottle whose neck protrudes from a fish's gaping mouth, was manufactured on the Delaware River, in Philadelphia, in the late nineteenth century.
To start your own collection, cast a line at yard sales, flea markets, or online auctions. Although a devoted collector might spend thousands on a complete set of well-preserved plates, the casual buyer can procure a single dish for a few dollars. Seek out streamlined shapes, and group them by color. Then consider mounting the collection against a marine-inspired backdrop, such as blue-green wallpaper or cool-colored tiles. The pieces also will look right at home with all kinds of sea-associated specimens and delights. Surround them with beach shells, antique nautical knickknacks, or decorative coral in hefty lumps or spindly branches. And before you know it, you'll be hooked.
Wines and spirits from nations close to the sea, including Italy and Portugal, came in bottles shaped like fish (this page); the small, round vessel once held perfume, while the white one is a reproduction of an 1860s bitters bottle.
I LOVE ALL OF THESE ... and I'm so jealous.
I collect 'Fish' things as well.
I live on the East Coast of Australia and I LOVE the beach and all things nautical and Marine. I recently found a small 'Fish' jug which I managed to only pay $2 for at a Charity Store also my Fish Wine Bottle, like yours I got for $1 as well.
Thank You so much for sharing this, as a Lover of Fish I thoroughly enjoyed seeing yours .... aussiegirl