Visuals
The side and front view of the Old Winyard wine bottle
Image Copyright Information:
Photograph: ‘Glass bottle.’ Medium: Glass. Manufacturer: Fever-Tree. Description: Mass produced glass bottle for ginger beer. Date: 2024. Original Owner: Nadia Mascia. Photographer: Evelyn Mamer. Source of Object: Purchased from Fortinos Grocery Store.
Object Information
Object: Wine Bottle
Medium: Glass
Creator: Hawthank Hornblower, glassblower
Date of manufacture: 1119 S.R.
Place of creation: Old Winyards, South Farthing, the Shire
Artifact Number: M-h 673
Collection: Permanent
Source: Donated by Miss Ameilia Hornblower
Museum Label
As one of the last in a long line, Hawthank Hornblower (1058-1137 S.R.) was a ninth generation glassblower who created this wine bottle that housed the Old Winyard wine. He carried on the traditional tree design of his ancestors, who based the design on a real tree that grew in Old Winyard. These bottles were typical in the years 1100-1275 S.R. before a different design became more popular amongst the many glassblowers of the Shire’s South Farthing.
Wine Bottle Interpretation
Miss Ameilia Hornblower is the youngest of Hawthank Hornblower’s great grandchildren. She inherited her great grandfather’s farm and vineyard at only 40 years old due to most of her cousins and siblings moving out of Old Winyard. The farmhouse is no longer an active part of the vineyard, as new buildings have been built since Hawthank has lived there.
Ameilia found the farmhouse absolutely overrun with her great grandfather’s tools, glass creations, and empty wine bottles. Since she did not take up her family’s practice of glassblowing, she donated most of the tools to the Mathom House. She also donated the wine bottles because she felt that her ancestor’s creation deserved to be preserved as a part of the Shire’s history. Being about 144 years since these particular wine bottles were used, these bottles were no longer being produced to house the Old Winyard wine, and therefore Ameilia had no immediate use for them.
The current wine bottles have the name and logo of the vineyard, meaning she couldn’t use the old bottles as a part of the current export of wine. She kept a few of the bottles for some of her trinkets and a few more for other various beverages she liked to keep in the kitchen, but the rest came to the Mathom House. The tree that can be seen on the front of the wine bottle is a replica of the tree that was planted by one of Ameilia’s ancestors and stands in the middle of Old Winyard. Despite the tree growing over the years, the Hornblowers kept the design the same, until an alternate mark was developed for the winery, and the old design replaced. The name of the vineyard is also not featured on this design because back when this design was in its peak, there was no other place to purchase wine in the Shire. Now, wine comes in from Bree and other various places across Middle Earth, and the Hornblowers felt it appropriate to brand their product.
Being the first place to purchase wine in the Shire means that there is never a shortage of demand, as many Hobbits still prefer the Old Winyard wine to other wines coming in from elsewhere. The largest orders, aside from those for parties, come from Bag-end in Hobbiton for the Gardener Family. All the children of Samwise Gamgee and Rose Cotton prefer Old Winyard wine, as their father would drink it on occasion to his former Master and dear friend Frodo Baggins. Some of these wine bottles have been donated by Samwise as Frodo’s large stash from Bilbo was still in Bag-end, but most came from Ameilia.
An interesting note about this design is that, upon closer inspection, it is evident that each tree slightly differs from each other, as all these bottles were handmade by either Hawthank, or another of his glassblowing relatives. The differences are barely visible, due to Hawthank and his family being incredibly talented, but they are there nonetheless.