French Bistro Absinthe Loop Carafe

This reproduction piece was inspired by advertising carafes from the turn of the last century. Carafes similar to this one, were originally found on bistro tables throughout France and other parts of Europe. Besides its general function to hold water, carafes like this were also used as a promotional tool. Once water is added, the water acts to magnify and enlarge the text on the dome. This magnification was useful to grab the eye of the customer, therefore focusing attention on the advertisement. The domed, indention part at the bottom of the carafe (where the text is printed) is referred to as the loop, or loupe in French, which means magnifying glass. Dripping water by a carafe was the most utilized method of adding water to the absinthe in the days of pre-ban (before 1915) absinthe. The correct technique is to continuously drip the iced water as slowly as possible until the sugar has completely dissolved from the spoon and fallen into the glass of absinthe.

• Mouth-blown, clear glass.
• Measures approximately 9" (22.86 cm) tall.
• Base measures approximately 4.25" (10.8 cm) in diameter.
• Holds approximately 25 fl oz (.73 L).
• Imported.