 American Viniagrette (8254)
What I’m about to tell you, took me for a long time for me to figure out, because again very little is written about the use of so many gadget canes, other than their names. There are four different names for canes that are similar but different. Pomanders, vinaigrettes, smelling salts, and perfumes. I just went back and read Catherine Dikes description of this subject in Cane Curiosa and two things came to mind. It shouldn’t have taken me so long to figure it out, she has a helpful description in the introduction to chapter 17, and I’m going to reproduce it here. I’m going to add what I have learned along the way and hopefully will help you appreciate how important canes were to this interesting part of history. The vinaigrette pictured is unusual because it’s an American Presentation cane. I’ve never seen another. Most are European. I’m told by collectors that most were not used with a vinegar based solution, as its name implies, but a sweeter solution like perfume. I’m told the most difficult thing about living in the nineteenth century and before were was the smells of body odor. Remember there was no deodorant and no indoor plumbing. There were only outhouses Where would they even get a bath or a shower. Its obvious the filler was vinegar based in the beginning, but its use for the majority of its life changed. The grill on the top of this one is particularly ornate The lid which is plain, proves it’s a presentation, because it was meant to be engraved on. Most non presentations had ornate tops. The compartments are very small in vinaigrettes,as compared to pomanders, This supports the theory that the strong smell of perfume didn’t need as large a space There was a sponge in both of these types. I think the smelling salt container canes are the rarest. I know the one in Dikes is not one because the opening is to small to get the salts in, they had a wide mouth. I’ve seen many pocket smelling salt containers and they are all have the same wide mouth. I also have only seen a couple. Perfume containers have the most varieties, and are the easiest to reproduce by putting an atomizer on the handle or a separate perfume bottle inside a shaft. The bottles are plentiful and inexpensive. Dike mentions one cane I didn’t know existed and I wouldn’t know how to illustrate one, that is one with holes in the handle to make the hand smell pretty. When you think about the custom of kissing women’s hands, it makes sense there would be a need for one, but again I have always defined those with no lids doctors pomanders. Until someone shows me one and why it is one I’m going to pretend they don’t exist. Our purpose today was to give you an introduction to an interesting topic, and it will be prolifically added to as we add canes to these categories.
Category: Gadget
Sub Category: City - Manufactured
Listed: 2006-08-25 00:56:44
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