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Feathers, Fur, and Fragrance: The Enduring Appeal of Animal-Shaped Perfume Bottles

Posted by Robin on 31 December 2024 1 Comment

Our own Dr. Jessica, giving a talk at the Corning Museum of Glass earlier this year: "Perfume containers shaped like animals have been made and cherished for several millennia, with important examples surviving from ancient Egypt and the ancient Near East. From bold to beautiful to slightly spooky, small-scale interpretations of the animal kingdom have hinted at the wild side of scent in various ways over time. The modern era, however, witnessed a new proliferation of zoomorphic fragrance vessels. This lecture takes a close look at a selection of twentieth-century commercial perfume bottles shaped like birds and beasts, connecting their stories and symbolism with related developments in fashion, the fine arts, and visual culture."

Note that there is a brief introduction and then some technical difficulty; if you want to skip to the beginning of the lecture, go to about 3:09. The talk is about an hour long.

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: bottles, perfume history, video

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  1. MossyBerry says:
    1 January 2025 at 3:18 pm

    Thank you Ms. Jessica! You added a happy hour to my New Year’s Day.
    The discussion of cat and butterfly bottles was such a relatable, delightful and scholarly offering in your talk! Glass is a fabulous material – I can geek-out on it almost as much as perfume. I love that you had the Grace Coddington bottle at the end! Best wishes for a Happy New Year to you and yours!

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