Accessories
Silver Locking Tantalus with Crystal Decanters
Silver Locking Tantalus with Crystal Decanters
A beautifully designed silver locking tantalus with three crystal decanters, created to display and serve fine liquors with style. The piece opens to reveal the bottles, then swings neatly back into place so they can be secured under lock and key. Each decanter is topped with a faceted crystal stopper and rests within a hexagon-shaped silver base, giving the piece a refined geometric presence.
The name “tantalus” comes from the mythological figure Tantalus, and refers to the idea of something desirable being visible but just out of reach. In this case, the liquor is temptingly displayed, yet safely protected by the locking frame. These pieces became especially popular in upper-class English homes around the turn of the century and continued to be used throughout the Art Deco period.
This is both a functional bar accessory and a decorative object, ideal for a home bar, cocktail collection, dining room, or entertaining area. It brings together crystal, silver, clever mechanical design, and the theatrical spirit of early 20th-century cocktail culture.
The goal of a tantalus is to keep the precious contents out of the wrong hands . You wouldn't want the servants or the children to have access now would you?! ! but it also has the effect of making even a simple scotch or bourbon look expensive and rare.
info@artdecocollection.com
