Rosewater Droppers

We were very fortunate late last year to be offered a gentleman's life time collection of Chinese rose water droppers. These exquisite objects were made for the middle eastern market and exported via the silk route.

For centuries, the Damascus rose (Rosa damascena) has been considered a symbol of beauty and love. The fragrance of the rose has been captured and preserved in the form of rose water by an ancient method that can be traced back to biblical times in the Middle East.

This beautiful example of an export dropper is finely painted in red and blue with a dragon snaking around the body. For more information about this one click here.

Damascus roses are also used in cooking. Rose water and powdered roses are used especially in Indian and Arabic cooking. Rose water was sprinkled on almost all meat dishes, rose powder was added to sauces, yogurts and other desserts. Chicken with rose jam was a valued dish in Persian cuisine.

The uses of the dried Damascus rose in beauty products are numerous. Soaking Damascus rosebuds in water for three or four days releases a rose essence which can be added to bath water or may be used to rinse hair after shampooing to leave the skin and hair soft with the fragrance of roses.

This blue and white example has typical Islamic motifs finely painted in bands around the body, for more information click here. Rosewater droppers are often found with a metal rim which were thought to have been added in Cambodia or Vietnam prior to export.

We have a few others from this collection and are happy to send you images if you are unable to visit our Fremantle show room.