Description

Unusual Art Deco Betjemann Tantalus veneered in exotic Macassar ebony with silver plated handle, housing three beautifully shaped cut glass decanters with star cut bases.

To release the bottles the tantalus must be first unlocked, then the small tab at the bottom of the lock mechanism must be pressed downwards which will then allow the handle to be tilted either way.

This art deco tantalus comes with a fully working lock and tasselled key.

Macassar Ebony is a valuable wood found in India, Sri Lanka and South-East Asia. It has a contrasting hazel-brown colour with black grain. It is a dense, heavy wood that is so popular it has been logged to extinction over the last few hundred years.

George Betjemann & Sons

George Betjemann started as an apprentice cabinet maker from a young age working for his Father in Law.
In 1848, his two sons George William Betjemann and John Betjemann joined him under apprenticeships until 1846 when George William Betjemann started his own business with his two sons. In 1859 George moved to a new premises on Pentonville road, London. This was when the business became known as “Betjemann & Sons”.

John Betjemann was grandfather of the later famous poet laureate Sir John Betjemann.

The Tantalus is named after Tantalos, a character from Greek Mythology who offended the Gods and was condemned to eternal hunger and thirst in the afterlife. He was imprisoned in a pool of water surrounded by fruit trees. When he reached out to drink the water or eat the fruit, the water drained away and the branches of the trees moved out of his reach! It is from Tantalos’s punishment that the word tantalise originates.

Tantalus is a decorative stand, case or box for glass or cut glass decanters. The first lockable Tantalus appeared around the mid 19th Century and was first seen in England around 1870. The decanted alcohol can only be accessed by unlocking and raising or lowering a handle or bar. The Tantalus was popular with owners of large, grand houses of this period to protect the decanted alcohol from being drunk by their butlers & other staff. Therefore the alcohol was kept just out of reach to tantalise – just as in the story of Tantalus!

Our varied selection of Tantalus & Decanters make excellent corporate gifts, as well as for special occasions such as a retirement or wedding. They also make a great focal and talking point at a Dinner Party, or simply to look handsome in a Dining or Drawing Room!

Decanter dimensions:
Height: 8.5′
Diameter: 4.5 inches

Additional information