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The history of the tear bottle is
captivating and poignant. Legends of tear bottles or lachrymatories abound in
stories of Egypt and middle eastern societies. Tear bottles were
prevalent in ancient Roman times, when mourners filled small
glass vials with tears and placed them in burial tombs as symbols
of love and respect.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, the notion of collecting tears in a bottle appears in Psalm 56:8 when David prays to God,
“Thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my tears in Thy
bottle; are they not in Thy Book?” David’s words remind us that
God keeps a record of human pain and suffering and always
remembers our sorrows.
Tear bottles reappeared during the Victorian period of the 19th
century, when those mourning the loss of loved ones would collect
their tears in bottles ornately decorated with silver and pewter.
The mourning period would end when the tears evaporated from the
bottle.
Tear bottles today are given to
symbolize joy and love for others’ important rites of
passage. Births, adoptions, graduations, and weddings are
occasions where a lasting gift like a beautiful tear bottle will
surprise and delight loved ones. During times of sadness,
such as illness or death, a tear bottle or lachrymatory is especially
meaningful and can express deep sympathy to loved ones. Some women choose to use the bottles; others give them as
purely symbolic gifts.
“One’s life has value so long as one attributes value
to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation,
and compassion.” - Simone de Beauvoir
You can learn more about the history of lachrymatory tear bottles at
www.lachrymatory.com.
Timeless Traditions uses only high quality materials and craftsmanship for the production of our tear bottles. The high-quality glass bottles are uniquely encased with metalwork and finished in gold plate, nickel silver, pewter, antique copper, and brass in the U.S.A. The flame-worked, contemporary designs are made in Montana.
Webmaster: ShelleyJYoung@gmail.com
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