THIS FIGURAL ROYAL DOULTON BLACK CERAMIC SANDEMAN DON DECANTER IS 10.5 INCHES HIGH, 4 INCHES WIDE AND 2.5 INCHES DEEP, WEIGHT IS 1 LB 3 OZ.
WITH FULL LABEL. MARKED ON BOTTOM WITH LION ON CROWN, ROYAL DOULTON, ENGLAND.
IN PHOTO TAPE IS SECURING CAP WITH HAT; THIS IS NOT NECESSARY FOR DISPLAY.
The Sandeman Don figure was one of the most widely recognized trademarks in the world
The House of Sandeman was founded in 1790 by George Sandeman of an old Scottish family.
Originally a wine cellar, the company expanded over the years into exporting ports, madeira and sherries, changed form, and acquired in 1928 the Don figure trademark – a silhouetted figure holding a glass of wine dressed in a stylized Portugese student’s cape and sporting a wide-brimmed hat like those worn by caballeros.
Figural bottle decanters such as these were made by Royal Doulton and Wedgwood for the marketing of the spirits. The cork or cap was at the top of the hat.
These days the Don image blends in well with the contemporary flattened graphic styles of noirish comics and the Guy Fawkes masks celebrated out of English history, but it has its own traditions.
All Sandeman decanters on this site are, alas, empty.
There are a number of other Royal Doulton and Wedgwood decanters of different years and some with variations( wineglass of different shading or color, held in different hand, different liquor labels, etc) if you are interested in the decorative effect of a grouping.