SEALED Antique Freeblown Glass Fly Wasp Trap Flytrap Bottle Applied Glass Seal

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Rare French sealed flytrap, complete with its original stopper. One will see dozens if not hundreds of plain flytraps before coming across a sealed example. The seal is not 100 per cent clear but one can make out: " MADAME TRUCHOT / - - E DUP - - / - - - - - - - - S G D G ". The sgdg is short for sans guarantie du gouvernement, and the whole phrase would have been BREVETEE SGDG thus meaning patented or registered without any guarantee from the government. This fly or wasp trap dates from the Victorian era. It is freeblown (without a mould) by an artisan glassblower, the seal, the three feet and the re-inforcing rim to the lip were added whist the body was still hot and held on the blowpipe. The lip, subsequently exhibiting the roughness where the blowpipe was detached, was then cold ground to remove the sharp edges. The odd small air bubble, swirly effect, and impurities in the glass attest to the age of this piece. These traps were placed on horizontal surfaces, tables, windowsills etc., were partially filled with water and some jam or sugar to attract wasps and flies, which once entered the trap can not escape, and eventually drown. No crueller than the nasty chemical solutions of our modern "civilised" world. They work surprisingly well, I have tried them. Organic, environmentally friendly, green....practical and collectable. read more

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