Blue glass perfume bottle with vinaigrette

Blue glass perfume bottle, with silver gilt vinaigrette on the base, by S. Mordan and Co., London, 1864

Combined with a blue glass perfume bottle, the silver gilt vinaigrette at the base was a small container used for holding fragrant substances, often dissolved in vinegar. They were popular amongst wealthier sections of the British population from the late 18th century through the mid-19th century. Many were designed in silver, within which a tiny piece of sponge, soaked in the pungent scent, was contained beneath a grill or perforated cover.

Most likely to be carried by a woman, this object could be kept in a pocket, small bag or at the end of a chain and be quickly accessed in the wearer encountered some of the foul smells that would be a familiar part of life during those times – particularly in urban areas. In an era when disease was thought to been carried in the air via foul-smelling ‘miasmas’, vinaigrettes were also seen as having protective properties. Accessed via a hinged lid, the scent from it might also be inhaled if the wearer was feeling ill or faint – much like smelling salts.

Made by S. Mordan and Co, London. The company was established by Sampson Mordan (1790–1843) and later continued by his sons Sampson Mordan Jr. and Augustus after his death.