1885 Tantalus Double Decanter

A rare collectors piece from the late victorian era. 

The spirit tantalus originated in Victorian England as a clever security device designed to satisfy the host while keeping expensive imported liquors safe from domestic staff. By passing a locking metal bar across the stoppers of the decanters, guests could admire the contents but were famously tantalized by their inability to pour a drink without the key.

Patented famously by George Betjemann & Sons in the mid-19th century, these locking decanter frames became essential fixtures in wealthy Victorian smoking rooms, libraries, and studies. The frames were typically constructed from solid quarter-sawn oak or mahogany and fitted with heavy silver-plated brass hardware, while the decanters themselves featured deep hobnail or prism cuts to refract the candlelight of the era.