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If you're thinking of collecting hand blown perfume bottles, look to the Egyptians and Venetians for high quality

Egypt has been involved in glassmaking since its early beginnings, and still produce some of the finest blown glass bottles in the world. The first glass man-made objects were found to date back to 3500 BC, and these were glass beads found in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The next development in glassmaking was glass vessels made by molding glass on a core, these were also found in Mesopotamia and Egypt dating back to the 2nd millennium BC.

ITALIANS MASTER GLASSBLOWING

Glass blowing came about around the first century BC in Syria, then blown glass was mass produced suring Roman times. Soon after blown glass was invented, the Italians mastered in, particularly in Murano. Some of the finest glass blown vessels ever made came out of this island, from the medieval period to today.

EGYPTIAN PERFUME BOTTLES

Egyptians were blowing glass and creating decorated vessels from these early times, but the glass perfume bottles that are prized today are the products of a more modern art form. In the early 1900's there was a resurgence in Egyptian glass blowing, and that is where style of the recent bottles came about.

These bottles are most prevalent in the Khan el-Khalili market, which has a vast array of styles to choose from, although tourists can find them in most any part of Egypt.

When shopping for these, be aware that all are not of the same quality. Be careful not to purchase lopsided bottles. Also, some are painted with gold, while others are painted with gold paint, so look for the brilliance of real gold. When shopping online, it is best to deal with a reputable dealer.

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