Antique Way

Old Perfume and Scent Bottles.

You don't have to be a Sunday school teacher, or even a Christian for that matter, to be familiar with verses 9-11, Mathew 2, from the Holy Bible:

"After their audience with the king they set out. The star which they had observed at its rising went ahead of them until it came to a standstill over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house found the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their coffers and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."

Wise men came bearing gifts. Most precious in Herod's kingdom, undoubtedly. You already know about gold. How about the other treasures in the coffer? Do you have any idea what frankincense and myrrh are?

They are perfumes. At first thought, pleasant smelling tree resign seems a tawdry gift to present to a newborn king whose prophesized birth is announced by a supernova. On second thought, in those days, it was a pretty special gift. Here's why: running water, Dial Soap, Right Guard deodorant, shower equipped bath tubs, toothpaste, Listerine and affordable clean clothing and undergarments are contemporary inventions. Bottom line is: Up until the first quarter of the 20th century, people reeked, big-time.

Knowing that, understand this: costly as quality perfume and cologne is today, it was considerably more so in earlier days. Rosewater, lilac oil and frankincense were also more compulsory. Ornamental, varied, imaginative and skillfully made as fragrance bottles are today-they were even more so in the old days. Because few people have yet caught on to these particulars, such containers represent an outstanding investment and decorative opportunity for collectors.

A "vinaigrette" is a small container designed to hold a small sponge soaked in aromatic vinegar. Usually a hinged box or bottle. The opening hinge end of a vinaigrette has a decorative pierced metal grill to allow the acidic smell through when it's discretely held up to the possessor's nose. Why so many men and especially women were drawn this custom has not come to my attention. Some have suggested a smelling salt premise due to the tightness of olden day corsets and clothing. This is one more theory I do not consent to. Quackery probably has something to do with it. Canceling foul odors out certainly played a large role. One thing is for certain. From the 18th through the early 20th century, vinegar and acidic salt sniffing was common. Many crystal perfumes I have owned were double-ended. With a screw cap and stopper holding perfume on one end. And, on the opposite side, the silver screw cap or hinged-top, covering a grilled-faced vinaigrette bottle. One end for waking one's self up: The other side for awakening far more interesting feelings in others.

Perfume containers fall under two broad categories: Olden Day Hand-Crafted Refillable and 20th Century Commercial. Prior to the twilight years of the late 19th century, when people wanted a product like pickles, flour, beer or perfume they carried their favorite containers to the local markets. Filling them up similar to the way we fill our gas tanks today. 20th century advancements changed all that. Soon after 1900, most products, including perfumes, were available in only one new form: pre-packaged. Perfumers began producing their own bottles to house their wares, supplanting the carry-along works of art made successive centuries before by silversmiths, potters, stone-carvers and glass gaffers.

Early perfumes can be readily found at auctions, shops and eBay ranging from $50 and up depending upon quality and condition. I've personally bought and sold over 200 in the last three years, primarily from one large collection. Some of my favorites were: a Wedgwood type Jasperware perfume with an ivory screw top and vividly colored crystal scent bottles made in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Bristol and Nailsea England, and Italian glass houses. Others were carved from ivory, stone, amber and forged from fine metals. One was shaped like a tiny porcelain egg and hand-painted with sophisticated landscape scenes from early 19th century Germany. All were tiny works of art made to contain costly droplets.

Because we can relate to them, 20th century perfume containers are more and collectible than their predecessors. Keep in mind they were "disposable" and most were thrown away. As stated in Miller's Perfume Bottle Collector's Guide: "Perfumers such as Coty, Piver and Roger & Gallet commissioned designs from well-known artists, and glass flasks from leading makers including Baccarat and Lalique." Containers such as these represent the pinnacle of Commercial Era perfume collecting. Atomizer perfumes became popular around 1910. In the 1920's American Art Deco design began to supplant Art Nouveau perfume packaging popularized in France. Plastic "bakelite" and "Catalan" containers were introduced around 1930. Chanel No. 5 introduced "designer" scents in 1921. Just as Chanel's packaging remains relatively constant today, so too is the company's brilliant marketing concept. Designer names like Ralph Lauren and Chloe still sell scent. The artistic influence of Picasso, Peter Max and Jackson Pollock can be found in perfume/cologne container design. Often larger in packaging, a Commercial Era perfume collection can be stored on shelves. Perhaps complimenting a facing wall of cased scent bottles from an earlier age of hand-craftsmanship and pickles by the barrel.