A Short History of Lachrymatory Bottles
Perhaps the earliest reference to tear bottles is in the Book of Psalms 56:8 when David prays to God asking, “Thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my tears in Thy bottle; are they not in Thy Book?” According to Lachrymatory.com, “Sometimes women were even paid to cry into these vessels, as they walked along the mourning procession. Those crying the loudest and producing the most tears received the most compensation, or so the legend goes. The more anguish and tears produced, the more important and valued the deceased person was perceived to be.” During the 19th century, tear bottles were made with special stoppers that allowed the tears to evaporate. Once the bottle had completely dried up, the mourning period was deemed over. Other bottles from earlier periods remain intact with their centuries-old tears trapped inside.
Tear bottles call to mind Thomas Edison’s last breath, supposedly captured in a test tube and stored at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
** Timeless Traditions is a wholesale supplier of historically-inspired tear bottles.
May 31st, 2006 at 5:44 pm
I love you guys, plain and simple. Tear jars? Gears operated by 17th century cherubim which hold the globe a-spinning? Whatever drives you all- thanks. May it never end.
June 1st, 2006 at 10:56 am
It doesn’t get much more esoteric than that. Oh wait… yeah, it probably does.
October 13th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
We watched some crazy 60s movie in high school about the Roman empire, and the emperor is crying at one point into a bottle saying, “One tear for Polonius, one tear for me.”
Who knew the practice was real and not some eccentricity?
November 17th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
You can learn more about the history of lachtymatory bottles or tear bottles, including their use during the Civil War at lachrymatory.com .
December 1st, 2006 at 11:54 am
I am doing research on Tear Catchers for a paper on pastoral care, especially in a hospital setting. Any other links or websites that have historical information would be appreciated.
thanks
January 2nd, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Where can I buy these?
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:26 pm
These bottles are made in Egypt, in vast numbers, and you can buy them in most Islamic shops in London, for example. They are beautiful and very cheap, and no two are the same.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:57 pm
You can buy lachrymatory tear bottles online at Tear Catcher Gifts. There are also many brick and mortar stores around the country that carry them. There are also many stores that offer perfume bottles as tear bottles. Historically, many people used perfume bottles if they couldn’t find a tear bottle.
November 17th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Modern day tear bottles or tear catchers can be found at the following online website: http://www.liquidsoulgifts.com. Revive the tradition today!