VINAIGRETTE

silver vinaigrette is a small receptacle to contain scented vinegar used by ladies to ward off faintness. The earliest-known examples in separate form dates from 1492. Such pieces were popular from the mid 18th century, They were made in innumerable forms and styles (such as circular, oval, polygonal, heart-shaped or shell-shaped, and in fantasy forms, such as a shoe, book, watch-case, purse, acorn...) in silver, gold or porcelain, with a pierced metal grille under the stopper or the securely hinged lid to cover a sponge saturated with a scented substance.