This decanter is like mountain stream that decided to put on a suit of armour. ⚔️💧
 
🍋🍸 The Crystal 🍋🍸
 
The body is a tall, slender pillar of mouth-blown crystal, so clear it looks like it was carved from a single block of Alpine ice.
 
🍋 The Pewter Overcoat 🍸
 
 The "armour" is a rich, hand-finished pewter (stamped "Etain 95%", which is the French and European mark for high-quality pewter) that drapes over the shoulders of the decanter like a royal cape.
 
🍋🍸 The Stopper 🍋🍸
 
 Perched atop the crystal neck is a matching pewter-capped stopper, looking very much like a tiny, jewelled helmet for a very sophisticated liquid. 
 
🍋🍸 The Markings 🍋🍸
 
 On the underside of the pewter "arch," you can see the "Lavorato a Mano" (Hand-Worked) stamp alongside the characteristic pewter hallmarks, proving it was touched by human hands in the workshops of Northern Italy.
 
🍋🍸 This decanter carries the weight of centuries of Italian jewelled craftsmanship, reimagined for a modern Australian bar cart.
 
 🍋🍸 Arte Italica was founded to celebrate the "Art of Italy," specifically the ancient tradition of pewter-smithing that dates back to the Renaissance.  Unlike the shiny, loud metals of the modern world, this pewter is designed to have a "soft" glow, gaining a unique patina (a sophisticated word for "personality") as it ages.
 
🍋🍸That "Etain 95%" stamp is a vow of purity. It means the piece is lead-free and made of the finest pewter available, ensuring your favourite flavours—be it a rich port or a crisp gin—remain untainted and magnificent. 
 
There is some wear on the pewter from age as pictured.
 
🧚‍♀️ A Little Note from the Antique Fairy 
As with all vintage darlings, these pieces have lived a life or two and may have tiny surface scratches here or there as part of their story. I do my very best to capture any little whispers of wear in photos and notes. I also try to photograph each treasure in different light so you can see the colour as clearly as possible. Even so, tones may vary a little from screen to screen.
If you have any questions or just want to chat about this treasure, feel free to reach out 😊