Let's talk about vinaigrette!

While I'm certain that there are tons of great stories on how salad dressings came about, the word " vinaigrette" has a different meaning when it come to antiques. 

Often made out of silver with intricate details, vinaigrettes were part of a ladies' attire from the late 18th century through the end of the 19th. Used mainly to offset the smell of waste products in the cities, they also came handy to reinvigorate a fainting darling in her tight corset. Some also believed that it could protect one stain cholera.

Those small containers included a tiny sponge soaked in a mixture of aromatic scent and vinegar or alcohol beneath a grill or perforated cover.

some of the crowd favourites back then were: 

sage, cinnamon, lavender, mint, and rosemary

PS: We have two silver vinaigrettes coming our way! One Georgian ( 1814) and one Victorian ( 1849). Stay tuned!  See photos below