Saturday, August 17, 2024

Smell the Mummy!

I've only just scratched the surface when it comes to antique perfume bottles, --I maybe have a half dozen or so, and most of them are from the Art Deco era), --but yesterday proved to be a super fine day to unearth a wonderful new addition for the collection, and to also add something else to my love for Egyptian Revival, and mummy items too. And okay, it's not really a mummy as you can see, but the sarcophagus, and produced in Germany in the early 1900's by Schaefer & Vater. Googling for more info I found that S&V made this bottle in a variety of styles, mostly painted all brown or all gray. I actually did not see a single version anywhere online of the full color style like mine, (I did see a camel bottle in the exact same crown top and color scheme though.) The sarcophagus is about 2 1/2" tall, with neat hieroglyph details on the front and back, the face and head dress nicely painted too. The gold crown top stopper is in very good condition as well, with only the cork starting to crumble apart a bit as you can see in the final image below. There is still just the faintest, sweet, incense-like hint of the perfume scent from within, --those hoping for the musk of a rotten mummy please refer to my book HERE instead.

3 comments:

JMR777 said...

That would have been a rather regal home for an Egyptian Genie.

In 1922 this would have been the must have item with the discovery King Tut the boy king.

Mr. Cavin said...

I love all that turn-of-the-century Egyptian-craze stuff, too. This bottle is a real beaut, well painted and cast. I think it's my favorite perfume bottle you've posted yet. I'd have put all sorts of magic potions and arcane stuff in that thing when I was a kid.

Brian Barnes said...

Gorgeous survivor. The very British crown on the very Egyptian sarcophagus made in a time the British were raiding Egyptian for stuff to put in museums is a bit on the nose!

I love the pastels and the cool faux hieroglyphics on the bottle. This is a really cool little item!