Vintage G & J W Hawksley Sheffield Copper & Brass Powder Flask

Description

Flask decorating can be done for both functional and artistic purposes. Fluted patterns were not only visually beautiful, but they also made flask surfaces more durable and easier to hold. Fluted flasks were among the most popular kinds manufactured throughout the nineteenth century. Customers received flasks with these unusual designs from both large manufacturers and tiny businesses. The prominent Sheffield, England firm of G. & J. W. Hawksley produced this brass flask. This company, founded by brothers George and John William Hawksley, was well known for its superb craftsmanship and manufactured powder flasks for almost four decades.
Gunpowder was sold in bulk, and gunpowder flasks were used to transport it in the field.