Silver Mounted Perfume Flask
These silver mounted perfume flask examples combine glass and metalwork, offering a glimpse into personal grooming habits of past centuries.
Silver Mounted Perfume Flask
A silver mounted perfume flask is a portable container designed to hold aromatic liquids, combining glass bodies with protective metal hardware. Buyers searching this phrase most frequently encounter Victorian pieces, alongside Edwardian and Georgian examples.
Origins span English workshops in Birmingham and London alongside continental French makers. The surviving pieces demonstrate the evolution of personal fragrance containers from the Georgian era through to the George V period.
Materials and Construction
Makers combined sterling silver or silver gilt mounts with blown and cut glass bodies, utilising materials like cranberry glass, ruby glass, opaline glass, and tortoiseshell. The metal components were shaped to secure glass necks, create hinged lids, and provide structural protection for fragile vessels.
Techniques involved wheel-cutting and etching patterns directly onto the glass, paired with engraved or embossed detailing on the silver lids and collars. Some vessels incorporated crocodile or alligator leather wraps alongside the primary glass and metal elements.
Periods represented span from the Georgian era through the Victorian, Edwardian, and George V years.
Assessing the Pieces
Quality rests in the crispness of the glass cutting and the weight of the silver used for the mounts and lids. Deeper wheel-engraving on the glass and more substantial gauge silver indicate superior production standards.
Design complexity also separates standard items from finer examples, such as double-ended bottles, overlay glass, or specialised forms like egg and icicle shapes. The integration of materials like tortoiseshell or delicate hinged mechanisms demonstrates greater craftsmanship.
Harold Bushell and Co·Barnsley and Co
The Silver Mounted Perfume Flask Glossary
- Sterling silver
- A silver alloy containing 92.5 percent pure silver by mass, standard for English silver mounts.
- Cranberry glass
- A rich red glass created by adding gold chloride to the molten batch, popular in Victorian scent bottles.
- Vinaigrette
- A small ornamental box with a perforated inner grille, used to hold a sponge soaked in aromatic vinegar.
- Etui
- A small case for holding needles, tweezers, and other small toilet implements, sometimes housing scent bottles.
- Double ended scent bottle
- A vessel with compartments at both ends, allowing the user to carry two different perfumes or salts.
Silver Mounted Perfume Flask: Frequently Asked Questions
What were silver mounted perfume flasks used for?
These flasks held liquid perfumes or smelling salts used for personal freshening in daily life. They provided a secure, portable way to carry volatile scents.
Wealthy individuals carried them in pockets or reticules, utilising the tight silver lids to prevent evaporation of expensive fragrances.
How do I identify a Victorian flask?
Victorian examples often feature deep cranberry or ruby glass combined with heavily embossed or engraved sterling silver mounts. Date letters on the silver hallmarks help pinpoint the exact year of production.
Stylistic cues include naturalistic motifs and distinctive shapes like eggs, icicles, or cylindrical bottles matching late nineteenth-century tastes.
What is cranberry glass?
Cranberry glass is a pinkish-red transparent glass made by introducing gold into the glass-making mixture. It gained immense popularity during the Victorian era for decorative tableware and scent bottles.
In these flasks, the rich red colour contrasts sharply with the bright polished surface of the sterling silver lids.
How should I display these bottles?
Display these items on stable, flat surfaces away from direct sunlight to protect the coloured glass and interior residues. Cabinet placement keeps the delicate silver mounts safe from accidental knocks.
Ensure the display area remains dry to prevent tarnishing on the silver components and degradation of any organic materials like tortoiseshell.