Spherical Clam Shell Wine Rack

[DoOver]

Can someone help me identify this wine rack?  I found it in a second hand store and just had to have it. It's roughly 2 feet tall, 65 inches around and 20 inches in diameter.  Made of wrought iron.  Has a "lazy susan" bottle holder on the inside that holds 6 bottles.  I can't find a single mark on it that might show who made it.  Any help would be appreciated.

Don

[KC]

I can't say for sure the origin of your wine rack, but there are items that resemble this that I have seen come from Mexico appx. 20 - 25 years ago.  If in fact that is the case here, today's value would be appx $45 - $60.  (If you are in Texas - it will go towards the lower side due to the high influx of Mexican wares.  Elsewhere where they are plentiful, you can see a higher value.)

[Tim]

Actually, you would want your rack to lay on it's side to keep the cork from drying out.

[D&b antiques]

Good wine should be consumed' before it evaporates. you are right the cork will dry out.

[railman44]

Are you sure it's not a planter as opposed to a wine rack?  I too have never seen or heard of a wine rack that the bottles are stored upright...

[KC]

Plausibly mexican glassware would fit in the slots. So could liquors, even tequila.   It could be for a planter...but doesn't seem as likely.  But I agree...a true wine aficionado wouldn't use this! However, crazier things have been made.  Tweaking an old saying "If you make it...someone will buy it!".  If you lived in New Mexico or Texas you would understand that saying with all of the imported goods.

[DoOver]

Plausibly mexican glassware would fit in the slots. So could liquors, even tequila.   It could be for a planter...but doesn't seem as likely.  But I agree...a true wine aficionado wouldn't use this! However, crazier things have been made.  Tweaking an old saying "If you make it...someone will buy it!".  If you lived in New Mexico or Texas you would understand that saying with all of the imported goods.

I'm from New Mexico and currently reside in Texas.  Proof positive that: "If you make it...someone will buy it!".  One mans trash and all that. I just fell in love with the workmanship of this. Having lived in the southwest most of my almost 50 years and I've found myself south of the border more than a few times, I've never seen anything like this gizmo before.  I can't see it really being a good idea for a plant holder.  Iron rusts.  Pretty sure it must have been a display for something in bottles. 

Don

[cogar]

Not to be picky but, that would be cast iron, not wrought iron.

Anyway, KC is correct about the Mexican origin, if it was produced within the past 30+ years. Mexico now produces most all the "intricate molded" cast iron pieces, such as the above pictured one, that can be found here n' there, including trivets, etc., etc.

Now I was told this by an expert expert, a foundry owner in Westmorland, NY, back in the early 70's, who was still in business making "prototype castings" for industry. He explained to me that for the melted iron to "fllow" to all parts of an "intricate mold" it must contain a sufficient amount of potassium, I believe it was, or the iron would cool (set) before it could flow to all parts of the mold.

He then said, US produced cast iron no longer contains that potassium like it did back when thousands of products were being made of cast iron (stoves, farm implements, kitchen gadgets, tools, etc., etc.) of which most all of them had a molded "intricate design". For instance, an apple peeler or the legs for a treddle sewing machine.

Now I found this out when I went to him to make some reproductions of a very intricate design cast iron "Lazy Susan" that I had acquired, which was about 15" in diameter and 1 1/2" high, which I figured would be "a great seller" because ..... the "wood burning cast iron cooking stove craze" was in full swing. Anyway, his first words were, ... "I can't do it, and besides you couldn't afford it, so take it down to Mexico, they can". Then he told me "the rest of the story". 

cheers

[DoOver]

Not to be picky but, that would be cast iron, not wrought iron.

Thanks to everyone for all the great imput on this thing.  Y'all have me convinced this was most likely made in Mexico.  Isn't cast iron a bear to weld?  This thing has hundreds of welds on it.  The metal has that "worked" look to it. Take a look at the following pictures.

Again, I really appreciate the feedback.  Regardless of it's pedigree, I dig it and tha't really all that matters.

Don

[cogar]

Those look like welds ..... and that negates the molding. And yes, cast iron is tough to weld. One has to keep the pieces extremely hot when welding them and then they must be allowed to cool off realllllllly slow ....... with your fingers crossed. With any uneven cooling ..... means uneven shrinking of the metal ...... which will cause it to break right back apart.

A fellow once brought into my shop an "iron mask" that he wanted to show me what a great "find" he had, figuring it was 150 or 200+ years old. I hated to "bust his bubble" but I pointed out that it had been "spot welded" together and not "blacksmith welded".