Grosvenor House Hotel Small Glass Water Carafe c.1930s

This is a highly unusual example of a personal water carafe produced for the Grosvenor House Hotel, which opened in Mayfair, London, in 1929.

The carafe is of classic form, with a flattened rim, elongated cylindrical neck, and an ovoid body. It sits on a thickened, discoid foot which has a central polished pontil.

On one side of the body, it is etched with a pedimented triumphal arch surmounting a banner which reads ‘GROSVENOR HOUSE’.

Grosvenor House Hotel was opened in 1929 and was built on the site of the original Grosvenor House. The pedimented arch, as seen on the carafe, was a feature from the original Grosvenor House that was reproduced on the roof of the hotel. The hotel is now part of the JW Marriott group. 

It has a height of approximately 19.5cm, with a diameter across the rim of about 4.5cm and across the foot of about 7.0cm.

It has a liquid capacity (to the shoulder) of 400ml.

It has an unwrapped weight of 370g.

It is in good condition, with no chips or cracks, although there is some minor water marking to the interior, and some scratches around the inside commensurate with cleaning.