An Attractive Pair of Early 20thC Boots Chemist Advertising Glass Bath Crystals Jars & Covers
SOLD
Origin: English
Period: Early Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1915-30
Base Diameter: 3.5 inches
Height: 12 inches
The art nouveau inspired lucid green glass near pair of jars of tapered and fluted form decorated in gilt relief with peacocks and flowering scrolls having the original screw top covers, and one with paper label, survive from the first quarter of the twentieth century.
The condition of the jars are fairly sound considering they were not really made as permanent fittings. One has a bruised screw top lid showing down on one edge of the metal, the other one has minor scratching to the screw top cover, one has the original boots bath crystal label reading “bath crystals..violet, keep in a cool dark place, prepared by Boots”. Generally the decoration of the peacocks on one of the jars is in good condition with only some decoration missing with the glass is in perfect condition, the other jar’s glass is in perfect condition with no paper label and having some of the decorative decoration missing to the peacocks and flowering scrolls, but no breaks or chips. There are remnants of the bath crystals to the interiors, which could be cleaned if so desired.
Boots was established in 1849, by John Boot. After his father's death in 1860, Jesse Boot, aged 10, helped his mother run the family's herbal medicine shop in Nottingham, which became Boot and Co. Ltd in 1883, then Boots Pure Drug Company Ltd. in 1888. In 1920, Jesse Boot sold the company to the American United Drug Company. However, because of deteriorating economic circumstances in North America Boots was sold back into British hands in 1933. The grandson of the founder, John Boot, who inherited the title Baron Trent from his father, headed the company.
We cannot find any other examples like these, as they are rather ephemeral, the decoration is unusual, and they are wonderfully pretty. Try them in the modern bathroom for decorative decadence.