Not on display

Corkscrew

1800-1820 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Corkscrew, comprising a cylindrical handle of bone turned with a series of narrow mouldings, tapering towards each end; through this passes a long steel shaft cut with a long spiral thread at the bottom of which is a plain steel worm. The corkscrew is supported by a steel frame consisting of two circular rods attached at the top to an oval plate, and at the bottom to an open steel collar with flared base which fits over the bottle neck. The collar is held to the pillar at each side by lily screws. The edges of the oval plate are cut to a concave section with knurled edges. Above this plate is a conical washer with an extension at one side. One of the pillars has a vertical slot, this forms the seating for a narrow bar which operates through the top plate. When the corkscrew is fully set in the cork, this bar operates a toggle which acts against the extension on the top washer ensuring that the corkscrew can only operate upwards to allow the cork to be withdrawn.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Steel with a bone handle
Brief description
Corkscrew, steel with a bone handle, London ca.1820, the frame stamped; NICHOLSON CORNHILL
Physical description
Corkscrew, comprising a cylindrical handle of bone turned with a series of narrow mouldings, tapering towards each end; through this passes a long steel shaft cut with a long spiral thread at the bottom of which is a plain steel worm. The corkscrew is supported by a steel frame consisting of two circular rods attached at the top to an oval plate, and at the bottom to an open steel collar with flared base which fits over the bottle neck. The collar is held to the pillar at each side by lily screws. The edges of the oval plate are cut to a concave section with knurled edges. Above this plate is a conical washer with an extension at one side. One of the pillars has a vertical slot, this forms the seating for a narrow bar which operates through the top plate. When the corkscrew is fully set in the cork, this bar operates a toggle which acts against the extension on the top washer ensuring that the corkscrew can only operate upwards to allow the cork to be withdrawn.
Dimensions
  • Length: 18.05cm
  • Width: 7.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
NICHOLSON CORNHILL (Stamped on the frame)
Credit line
Bequeathed by G. Giachin
Object history
The ingenious design of this corkscrew is based on the invention of Sir Edward Thomason (1769-1849), a Birmingham engineer. An account of his corkscrew given in his memoirs states: on piercing the cork with the point of the worm and continuing to turn the handle the cork was drawn out and by turning the handle the contrary way, the cork was discharged from the worm.
Subject depicted
Bibliographic reference
Bernard M. Watney and Homer D. Babbidge, Corkscrews for Collectors, Sotheby Park Bernet, London and New York, 1981, ISBN: 0 85667 113 4
Collection
Accession number
M.102-1993

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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