Lovely 19th Century French Vermeil Smelling Salt Bottle

A Lovely Antique French 19th Century Gilt Silver And Crystal Smelling Salts Rectangular Bottle.

This delicate bottle could actually have been used in two different ways:
As a perfume bottle or as a smelling salts flask.

As you may recall, society ladies, in the 1800, were obliged to follow the fashion guidelines and hence wore very tightly corseted dresses. This resulted in the recurrence of fainting spells for the poor ‘socialites’!
The ‘vinaigrette’ soon became a main feature of the dressing code and took the loveliest forms, going from silver to vermeil and gold but always delicately carved.

In the case of our flask, it could also have been a perfume bottle. It is quite heavy and still contains the Smelling salts!
It also has an intriguing opening system triggered by a push button which releases the lid.
But whatever the use it had, this is a truly Beautiful piece!

The flask itself is in heavy hand cut crystal rectangular shaped, while the top of the bottle is covered in a silver with 24 carat gold wash.
The vermeil is worked in a delicate floral and geometric décor. The vermeil is in perfect shape and the crystal does not show any chips.

The Hallmark is under the Shape of an Boar’s Head which indicates it as being created between 1838 and 1919.

France 19th Century c.H: 4.21"W: 1.41"Reference number: CC-246