Vinaigrette

The little silver box with a sponge soaked in scented vinegar, to sniff when the air was bad.

The vinaigrette held a sponge with vinegar and scents which one sniffed to escape the stench of streets and crowds or to avoid fainting.

The silversmiths of Birmingham made them by the thousand with engraved and pierced patterns. Their hallmarks make them easy to date.

Materials: Silver, often gilt inside, sponge

Manufacture: Made by silversmiths, especially in Birmingham, from the late 18th to the mid-19th century.

The little box with two lids.

The pierced grille under the outer lid.

The gilding inside, which protected the silver from the vinegar.

• Perfume bottles
• Empire and Karl Johan