Antique BDH Hobnail Cobalt Glass Poison Bottle

  

Item: Poison Bottle Make: British Drug House (England) Age: Circa 1890 Construction: Glass (Blown in Mold) Dimensions: 3 1/2" Tall x 2 1/4" Wide x 2 1/2 Deep Condition: Good pre-owned antique condition. Chip with webbed cracking on one shoulder.

Glass surrounding the chip/crack is still solid. Details: Small antique cobalt glass poison bottle with curved back, two ribbed panels, and v-shaped front with pronounced rows of diamond point hobnails. Throughout the 19th century, new hazardous compounds including medications, household cleansers, and pest control entered the market. Poison bottles were frequently marked with certain raised forms or distinctive patterns to help prevent accidents. Cobalt blue, inky black, and dark green were popular hues for antique poison bottles, and they frequently included raised text or inlays spelling out "POISON" or "DEATH" among designs of raised latticework, deep grooves, geometric forms, and, most frequently, the skull and crossbones.