A traditional form of maritime folk art, this sailor-made macramé knotwork covered bottle is similar to other documented examples from the mid-19th century forward. It bears a striking resemblance to a bottle pictured on the Herreshoff Marine Museum (Bristol, RI) website where the caption reads “In our collection at HMM, we have a number of macramé covered bottles that were made as commemorative items by crew members on America’s Cup boats in the 1930s.”

The amber glass bottle is embossed along its shoulder with “Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reuse of this Bottle” — the standard federal warning required on American liquor bottles from 1935 onward, which dates the bottle itself to the second quarter of the 20th century.

The knotwork is unusually fine; the cord slender enough to produce a detailed diamond-net pattern on the body, transitioning to a more complex openwork design on the neck, finished at the top with a fringe collar.

Found in southeastern Massachusetts. Bottle filled with what seems to be white silica powder. Cork stopper not original.