Antique Lachrymatory Teardrop Glass Scent Bottle

Minimum Donation €135.00

A rare and unusual find. A Lachrymatory Teardrop scent/perfume bottle in blue glass with strawberries and leaf decoration in enamel paint and gilding. Circa 1840 -1860. The recognisable fruit and leaves were an exciting find, as most decoration is of abstract stylised form; and the original, gilt tipped, blue removable stopper/dipper makes it even more unusual. The front and back are decorated with strawberries in thick red and white enamel paint, with the gilded leaf decoration raised in part. The two side sections have been flat cut with raised enamel paint scrolls gilded, though most of the gilding on the raised parts have worn, leaving a violet colour enamel with gilded outline. The top has been left rounded. One side has slight damage to the enamel on two of the strawberries, as shown in the close up photograph. L:15cm x W:1.5cm

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Description

Note: Tradition states that small bottles were used to catch the tears of those mourning the loss of a loved one. However, although reluctant to dispel such a lovely thought, chemical analysis of examples found in Greek and Roman tombs show they contained oils and essences, not tears. Small bottles from Victorian era were certainly used for scented vinegars, smelling salts, perfumes and toilet waters to scent handkerchiefs. Many of the little bottles were suspended from chatelaines, which hung at the waist

Additional information

Weight 0.1 kg