Set of 3 Antique Bar Tot Measures

These are inverted spirit measures (also called optic measures or tot dispensers), designed to be inserted into an upturned bottle behind a bar. The bottle sits inverted, the cork/stopper seals into the bottle neck, and the glass chamber fills with a precise measure of spirits by gravity. When tilted, the tot is dispensed into a glass below.

These are possibly British or South African colonial-era bar measures, potentially (but not verified) dating from the 1920s to 1950s. The cork-and-brass construction and glass dome style are consistent with that period. By the 1960s most tot measures had moved to all-metal or plastic fittings.

Condition:

• Tot Pourer 1 (zinc cap): Heavy patina and corrosion on the metal functionally worn but characterful
• Tot Pourer 2 (copper cap): Better preserved, cap marking still legible
• Tot Pourer 3 (cork assembly): Intact and complete, which is actually rare