Flask

Flask Flask from the museum collection, of crystal glass and silver, made by a gilder and bronzer from Kraków in the beginning of the 20th century (before 1920). Perfume flask, small, made of thick crystal glass in the form of a flattened sphere becoming a small neck, closed with a stopper and a cover. The body of the flask is entirely ground to form a rococo floral and geometric ornament. The cover is hemispherical, made of silver, profiled and threaded. The centre of the cover is decorated with a rococo cartouche surrounded by rooster combs on a dotted background. At the bottom of the flask there is a large-ray star. Gilder marks on the neck and cover (gilded on the inside). The flask belongs to a five-piece container set. Such accessories, like powder containers, flasks for perfume and grooming waters, cream boxes, nail files, scissors, brushes, constituted the necessary equipment of the dressing table of the lady of the house. They were frequently made of crystal glass, silver and gilded silver, as well as richly decorated; they were frequently manufactured by famous gilders and appreciated artists. Possession of these indicated the status of the lady of the house. Perfume flasks were frequently designed by the most famous glasswork artists. Flasks and boxes are a very old invention; in the beginning, clay items were used, later glass- and porcelain ware was added, frequently decorated with precious stones. When the perfume ran out, the lady would send her servant to a goods store, where the flasks were filled with the right perfume. As time went by, the flasks started taking on various shapes and were frequently used for individual orders. With the advent of mass production, the flasks started to be mass-produced in cheap material and uniform shapes.