Sold for A$480
McWilliam & Sons / Griffith. Potters stamp: R. Fowler Ltd / 1921 / Sydney / 200. (New South Wales) Demijohn Printed Two tone, tan top, off white body. Black Print. 2 Gallon. 375 mm. 1920s
Very Good. Mr. J. J. McWilliam, founder and governing director of McWilliams Wines Pty. Ltd., died aged 83 n 1951. Mr. McWilliam was one of the foremost figures in the Australian wine industry. He gained his first vineyard experience with his father, Samuel Mcwilliam, at Corowa, and in 1898 he bought his first vineyard at Junee. He pioneered grape-growing in the Murrumbidgee irrigation area, where he grew the first commercial grapes, just outside Griffith, in 1912. This demijohn is from that vineyard and would be one of the earliest items with Griffith marked on it. Small and shallow flake to inner right lip, there is a scrape mark to the other inner edge of the lip. 20 x 10 mm shallow chip to right side of handle. Impact to left of handle has a 40 mm hairline from it along the edge of the handle again. Couple of spots of wear through glaze to the lower handle. 5 x 3 mm glaze flake to lower front neck. Some fine glaze wear to shoulder. A few minor discoloured spots. Some glaze scratches and the like. An interesting demijohn from country New South Wales. Grade: 7.4 Estimate: $400 - 500
