cassolette

Despite its appearance, this is not a perfume bottle, but rather a “Lampe Berger,” or perfume burner. Invented in 1898 by Maurice Berger, these lamps were originally created to purify the air in hospitals at a time when poor air quality began to be associated with communicable diseases such as tuberculosis. By the 1930s, they became decorative household items and were popularized by celebrities like Coco Chanel and Pablo Picasso.