Henrietta Marie Glass Bottle 86.08.860

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A glass bottle from the 1700 slave ship Henrietta Marie is of a common late 17th/early 18th century style known as an “onion” bottle. The name comes from the onion-like shape of the bulbous body and enlongated neck. These bottles most commonly held liquor. It is said they were popular on board ships because their shape allowed them to remain stable in a rolling sea. The Henrietta Marie bottle – 11.7cm tall and 14.3cm in dia. – is one of 12 found on the shipwreck site. The glass was originally a very dark green color, but it was degraded in the sea and has an irregular appearance today. It is not clear if these bottles were part of a trade cargo of liquor, or for use by the crew.