A small case called a "vinaigrette" was popular among the British upper class from the early to mid-19th century.

The word "vinaigrette" means "vinegar" in French, and in the antique trade, it refers to a small case for smelling salts.
It is a small case containing cotton soaked in a strong fragrance mixed with substances such as acetic acid and ammonia.

History

From the custom of carrying fragrances

In Europe, cases for holding perfume known as "pomanders" have been used since the Middle Ages.

Europe at the time had very poor sanitation, and even members of the upper-class aristocracy did not bathe regularly to stay clean.
It is also said that the streets reeked of garbage because waste disposal and sewage systems were not properly developed.

At the time, fragrances extracted from plants and animals were extremely expensive, but people carried cases filled with perfume to mask these unpleasant odors.

Furthermore, poor sanitation led to frequent outbreaks of infectious diseases, and perfume was believed to have the power to prevent infection.

In Tudor England around the 16th century, aromatic orange oil extracted from oranges was considered highly effective in preventing infectious diseases. Cases known as "pomander boxes" were popular for inhaling this fragrance, and these are believed to be the prototypes of vinaigrettes.

The development of aromatic vinegar and the miniaturization of cases

Around 1770, a more potent aromatic vinegar using acetic acid and concentrated fragrance oils was developed, allowing the cases to become much smaller than before, eventually shrinking to a very small size of about 3 cm.

Because they contained fragrance based on vinegar, they were called "vinaigrettes," meaning "vinegar."
The interiors were gold-plated to prevent corrosion and discoloration caused by the acid.

Usage

The smaller cases were easy to slip into a pocket or hang from a chatelaine, and both men and women began carrying them to mask unpleasant odors or to smell when they felt faint.

Vinaigrettes reached the peak of their popularity during the Regency era in early 19th-century Britain under King George IV.

Romantic tales of high society

At the time, corsets were an essential part of women's fashion, and it is said that many women in high society fainted from the tightness of their corsets.

Stories became popular in which a man by her side pressed a vinaigrette to a woman's nose to bring her to her senses, sparking a romance.
Some women reportedly feigned fainting to attract a man's attention.

Beautiful decorations on small cases

Because they were used in such eye-catching romantic situations, they were crafted with great attention to detail not only on the outside but even down to the mesh inside, and beautiful decorations were applied to the very small cases.

While many vinaigrettes were made of silver, some were jewelry-like, decorated with gold, enamel, gemstones, and more.
Some were integrated with bracelets or snuff boxes.

Summary

By the time the Regency era ended around 1840, the negative image of George IV as a scandalous and extravagant man had grown, and the popularity of vinaigrettes faded.

Because they were popular only among the upper-class aristocracy for a period in the first half of the 19th century, they are rarer than other perfume containers or card cases.

In addition to their rarity, their small size and elaborate decorations make them highly popular as collectibles, and they are items with many collectors.

Even today, they can be enjoyed not only as collectibles but also in modern life, whether by soaking them in a favorite perfume or aromatic oil as they were in the past, or by using them as stylish pill cases.