Lot 837: Ginger Beer. Weaver & Co., Dandelion, Hobart. Dark Chocolate Top (often called black). Champagne. Price, Bristol. (Tasmania)

Very Good. (7.5). 4 x 4 mm glaze flake to left rear lip, only just through glaze depth. This has been coloured over, there are a few tiny nibbled marks next to this. Looks like a very shallow upper lip flake or two have been repaired as well, there is a clear coating around the lip which has a scratch or two to it. Down from rear coloured neck is an exceedingly fine glaze hairline over only 10 mm or so, this does go into the brown area as well, but is impossible to see in this section. It is really hard to tell, but I have a feeling the clear coating around the lip actually continues down the entire coloured area (actually, it continues around the entire body as well), there are some fine scratches in this section indicative of scratches to a coating rather than into the pottery itself. This coating would have been more to shine it up and is not indicative of any repairs. I reckon this was likely applied to make the hairline disappear to the coloured neck, which has occurred! This was very fine to start with. Little nick or two to the body. Some fine scratches and minor marks. Some very minor nibbles around the heel. A superb looking example of this rare and very sought after bottle. Estimate: $1000-1500