Lot 2.
A Betjemanns plated two bottle tantalus
For Auction 13th July
A Tantalus is a small wooden cabinet containing two or three decanters. Its defining feature is that it has a lock and key to stop servants or younger sons drinking the alcohol while still allowing them to be on show.
The name is a reference to the unsatisfied temptations of the Greek mythological character Tantalus.
The original patent in 1881 (UK Patent 58948) was by George Betjemann, a German cabinet maker. Betjemann & Sons had workshops at 34–42 Pentonville Road, London from the 1830s.
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