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Thursday, February 6, 2014

Love is in the Air: Regency Perfume Rings ~Valentine's Day Countdown part 4

Perfumes serve many admirable purposes, but their reputation for catching (and holding) a love interest's attention has forever been the most popular one, for better or for worse. I elaborated previously on the Victorian perfume buttons and today I'm going to present you with more historical curios. In the meantime contemporary makers of scent objects haven't been idle either and in fact we have a delightful giveaway for real Swarowski pens which serve also as atomizers for perfume (so you can spray perfume with your pen!), so if you missed that post check it out and enter a comment for a chance to win one for yourself!
And now, on to the world of Jane Austen and those Regency styled images…

via 

During the Georgian era the popularization of Eau de Cologne meant no more oily residue for perfumes, so the process of wearing scented accessories was rather easy compared to the thick unguents of prior times. The 19th century gentleman specifically was catered by the likes of Juan Famenias Floris and his lightweight and elegant scented toiletries (Floris notoriously provided the emblematic Regency dandy, Beau Brummel), a tradition that would make novelist Jane Austen have her heroine Emma judge Frank Churchill's desire to travel "sixteen miles twice over" to just  have his hair cut and groomed in London as "foppery and nonsense".
What is less know is that in Regency times the tradition of perfumed rings came into being, no doubt a distant cousin of the poison rings that pervaded the European courts during the 15th and 16th century (and which allowed for the swift disposal of enemies by the careful administering of various poisons ~always at the reach of a hand!~ into the drinks and food of those partaking in a feast). But perfume rings were decidedly benevolent.

It would be no exaggeration to claim that perfume rings at the time are solely handled by the ladies. For the gentlemen the rings of the Elizabethan portraits, which almost click and clank due to their sheer profusion, are a thing of the past; the signet ring (a single ring which serves essentially as a beautifully mounted seal, distinctive enough for signing one's correspondence, as well as an anti-counterfeit measure) rules the day. Women on the other hand had the benefit of using the ring in more cunning ways. As the tradition of gentlemen bowing to lightly kiss the ladies' hands was rampant, the design of the perfume ring allowed for liquid and fragrant pomade to seep through tiny cuts and holes into the material, therefore aromatizing not only the lady in question, but also the giver of the kiss on the hand.

For lovers the motif of the heart reigned even back then, dating back to the fide rings of the Middle Ages (fide from Latin for faith). Its natural progression was the Claddagh ring, which has the heart surmounted by a crown held by a pair of hands, and which by the way that is worn denotes whether the person wearing it is single or bespoken. The rings took on other popular early 19th century love themes: Cupid and Psyche (a tale taken from Greek mythology); turtle-doves, usually in pairs, sacred to the goddess Venus; clinging evergreen ivy, forget-me-nots or pansies (oddly enough a non fragrant flower but very popular during the 19th century); or the bezel-set rings with a clock dial whereupon the gem is mounted on the number 12 and the inscription temps nous joindra (time will bring us together again) in the hoop, popular for lovers kept apart for any length of time.
Obviously the rings did not contain all those symbols and uses together!

The use of perfume lockets/padlocks, where curls of silky hair were included for safekeeping between lovers, was also in use, but the repercussions were less flirty than the ring, which by the sheer movement of the hand meant a detonation of its perfumed message….


12 comments:

  1. Back in the 70's I had a ring that opened to solid perfume, and also a necklace that did the same. Wish I could remember what scent they contained. The necklace was shaped like a bean...who was that? Halston? Boy, oh boy!!!

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  2. I was swoony over the Victorian buttons yesterday but rings are even better.

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  3. Anonymous19:52

    Lovely ideas, I've always fancied a perfumed pendant, I haven't heard of any companies making those..

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  4. Laurels00:24

    Perfumed rings are a terrific idea. Maybe someone will bring them back. As for perfume lockets, I know I've seen a review of one recently--Roxana Illuminated Perfumes, or something like that? You could also search on Etsy. I think perfume oil makers especially tend to sell accessories.

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  5. Tijon will have perfume pendants, lockets, rings, ALL kinds of jewelry that relates to fragrance! If you are ever in La Jolla, California you should schedule a visit to our lab and boutique...it will change your life...I know it did mine!

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  6. For years I would stop by Elizabeth Arden counter at Christmas as she always had beautiful porcelain figurines with perfumed wax beads, for scenting lingerie, I guess. I never used any of her scents, but I liked the Blue Grass figurines.
    I have a perfume pen, red enamel, with the original Salvidore Dali, EDT. Now you can't find colognes that are stoppered, so you can't refill the pens.

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  7. JW,

    bean shaped pendant does evoke Elsa Peretti for Tiffany, who also designed the Halston bottle. So my best is that it is either something from Halston or from Tiffany itself.
    Sounds beautiful!

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  8. R,

    things get better and better, don't they :-)

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  9. Rose,

    I believe small artisanal perfumers like Roxana Villa, Ayala Moriel and the like do indulge in scented jewelry. They scan the markets for items fit for filling with solid perfume or oil and sell them in their e-boutiques. Do a search! :-)

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  10. L,

    exactly, it's worth keeping in mind that these items continue to be available. One just has to search a bit for them. They're beautiful and very practical too.

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  11. Jovan,

    so very good of you to drop by and mention this valuable information! Do keep us posted as I know people are swooning over your shop.
    Thanks!

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  12. N,

    ah, Blue Grass figurines are indeed lovely, there are some on Ebay from time to time. Lauder also had many perfume solids in various compacts and little boxes and little pendants etc.
    As to the Dali, surely you could fill it with a spray atomizer as well? It would just require a funnel and lots of willpower to tire your little fingers.

    Jovan above is giving away a Swarovski pen & atomizer in a draw for the most romantic story. If you haven't entered a comment, please do so!
    Check it out:
    http://www.perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2014/02/love-is-in-air-part-2-very-special.html

    ReplyDelete

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