19th Century Late Mechanical Tantalus, French. Ormolu, Bronze, Crystal, and Gilt with a lock and key to open. Earlier versions of this type of small drinks cabinet would have been used in most households during Jane Austen’s times, unless the householders were teetotalers. via 1st Dibs Auctions 1stdibs.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tantalus<\/strong>: A small wooden cabinet containing drink decanters. The box has a lock and key to keep unauthorised people from drinking the contents e.g. servants and younger sons, yet still allowing the decanters of drinks to be on show. The word, Tantalus, is a reference to the unsatisfied temptations of the Greek mythological character Tantalus. Patented in the UK in 1881 by George Betjemann, a cabinet maker from the Netherlands, whose workshop was on Pentonville Road, London from the 1830s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"19th](\"https:\/\/suzilove.files.wordpress.com\/2021\/05\/drinks_19th_century_late_-mechanical-tantalus-french.-ormolu-bronze-crystal-and-gilt-with-a-lock-and-key-to-open._1stdibsbatch_med.jpg?w=859\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n19th Century Late Mechanical Tantalus, French. Ormolu, Bronze, Crystal, and Gilt with a lock and key. #Victorian #History #Drink books2read.com\/suziloveBoxesCases <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n![\"HN_11_D2D_Craftsmen](\"https:\/\/www.suzilove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/HN_11_D2D_RetailerBuyLink_HN_11.png\")
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