Most women have a collection of perfume and fragrances. Scents have become such an essential part of women’s lives that many will not step out of the house without first dabbing on a few drops of a favorite scent. Many people buy perfume bottles not only for the fragrant contents, but for the beautiful bottles themselves! While pretty perfume bottles are plentiful, it is the antique perfume bottle that is most sought after. Given the unique history, artwork and precision of each antique piece, some collectors will not hesitate to fork out several thousand dollars for one bottle!
Archeologists have discovered intricate perfume bottles within the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, and it is believed that Egyptians were the first to incorporate fragrances and perfumes into their cultural rituals. The most diverse materials, like gold, hard stones, colored glass and alabaster were used by the Egyptians to keep their perfumes. The use of glass to create antique perfume bottles was not utilized until 1500 B.C.
To possess a glass perfume bottle was quite an honor in those days as they were reserved for the wealthy. Perfume was used on a regular basis during ancient times in Rome, Greece and Venice, giving rise to various perfume bottle designs. Glass perfume bottles were created in England during the 16th century, followed by the emergence of Murano glassblowers during the 17th century. The Americas did not catch wind of the perfume bottle until the mid-1700s with the importation of these objects from England. In the 1800s, designers in New England started to experiment with different colors, sizes and shapes, creating a multitude of beautiful perfume bottles that are now collected as antiques. One designer even came up with a perfume bottle that resembled the Liberty Bell in 1876! Throughout the 1900s, collectors grouped perfume bottles by styles and designs like the Steuban, Imperial, Victorian, Art Deco and Art Nouveau.
There is a diverse assortment of styles, cuts and colors to select from when you are searching for the ideal antique perfume bottle. Because some perfume bottles are so small and exquisite, they can even be worn as pieces of jewelry. In fact, perfume bottles were extremely fashionable as decorations and enhancements during the 1880s. Lovely hand-painted scenes were prevalent on bottles in the early 1900s, and gold details were used extensively on perfume bottles created during the Victorian era.
Collecting vintage perfume bottles can be a journey into the past as there is a rich and interesting history behind each of them. After you purchase one which captures your fancy, try researching it on the internet. Your bottle can be filled with pleasant scents of today and overflow with memories of yesteryear.
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