perfume

The Beauty of Perfume Bottles

The use of perfume is documented from some of the very early recorded dates of man. Perfume has been used in almost all cultures for a variety of reasons including worship, body preparation in death and to perfume the living body.

The Bible, one of the most reliable historical documents mentions perfume many times. Joseph the son of Jacob was sold by his brothers to perfume traders from Egypt. Jesus was given perfume by the three wise men at his birth. These early perfumes were placed in vessels which were the first perfume bottles. There is a perfume bottle museum in Spain which has bottles dating to 6th century BC. These bottles were found in Corinth, Greece.

There is no end to the shapes and styles of perfume bottles used through the ages but their beauty is evident from the earliest examples which have been found. Avid collectors will attest to this beauty and have many samples which they are proud to show whenever asked.

Collecting Beautiful Perfume Bottles

A person who is interested in collecting perfume bottles only has to do a quick internet search to find immense resources for the collection. There are all types and styles including crystal, artistic glass, miniatures, figural, atomizers and crown tops. These different styles all have a beauty of their own. If a person is interested in starting a collection of perfume bottles it would be wise to start with some research. Deciding what type of bottles one is most interested in and how much the person wants to invest needs to be done in advance. Some people have thousands of dollars invested in perfume bottles.

For the amateur, beginning simply is a good idea. Older women in the family may have old perfume bottles from their youth. These bottles may not prove too valuable initially but will probably increase in value over time. A way to add value to the bottles is to have the original owners document where and how the bottle was acquired. Many bottles have interesting histories such as being purchased by a beau while he was in another country during war time; this provides special interest to the collection. By acquiring perfume bottles from friends and family a beginner collector will be able to obtain a basic collection without investing too much money. And, this perfume bottle collection will be even more valuable because of the sentiment involved.