Picture Day Friday

The following historic perfume bottles are courtesy of the Museu del Perfum in Barcelona, Spain.



GREEK ARYBALLOS (below) from Corinth is from the sixth century BCE. It's a ceramic of yellowish clay, with geometric design consisting of concentric circles with lines joining them at the neck. Notice the two owls in black and red, an allusion or symbol of Athens, with floral motives.



EGYTIAN PALETTE (below) from 1557-1501 BCE is made of Libyan Jasper. The emblem in the center depicts Amenofis I, Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, along with two urechis, or serpents, that are the symbol of royalty.



TURKISH ESSENCE BOTTLE (below), from the 17th century CE (AD), is a pocket-sized, crystal jar with a circular belly and a bell-shaped extension on the neck, all covered with exquisite gold filigree.



Visit the International Perfume Bottle Association for a look at the extensive international collection of perfume bottles. Their pictures are unfortunately not open for reproduction.