William IV silver wine funnel

This classic antique, tulip-shaped, silver wine funnel has a plain round body and removable strainer with substantial gadroon mount and acanthus leaf hook.

It is a particularly good and heavy silver wine funnel and the spout has a lovely curvature at the bottom to allow the wine to slip gently down the body of the wine jug when being decanted. The funnel's body is engraved with a family crest of an eagle with outstretched wings, holding a sprig, with the motto NOBILITAS SOLA VIRTUS - virtue alone is true nobility.

First appearing at the end of the 17th century, silver wine funnels were designed to decant wine from the bottle to a decanter for the table. The bowl was pierced with holes for catching larger pieces of detritus such as cork, while a retaining ring kept a piece of muslin straining cloth in place which filtered out finer sediment and prevented spoiling the wine in the decanter.

In the 18th century the spigot was crafted with a curved tip to ensure the wine ran gently down the wall of the decanter and, particularly for very fine or old wines, prevent bruising the wine.