Potpourri

As Potpourri (French: "pot " " pourri " = " spoiled pot " ) is a vessel, where were stored in the fragrant plant parts that should serve to improve the scent in the room.

Potpourris are typical (luxury) components of the bourgeois domestic culture in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Vessel

It is usually around bulbous, vase-shaped vessels - mostly of faience, stoneware or porcelain - the broken and with a lid ( below) are a non- perforated inner lid equipped. The vessels were often elaborately decorated or painted multicolored. In the absence of the perforated lid and the inner lid is not broken potpourri vessels of vases by the bearing edge for the inner lid can be distinguished.

Content and Use

In a potpourri fragrance blend of plant parts ( flowers, roots, herbs, citrus peel and spices) was applied - partly with the addition of essential oils or plant extracts. If using fresh flowers, these were preserved with the addition of salt. Other parts of the plants were placed in a dried state. The mixture formed a fragrant and, however unsightly mass after some time. Later finished fragrance mixtures were used for the potpourri in the trade.

The term (French: pot pourri ) " spoiled pot " derives from the fact that vessels with their porous body shots the fragrances and thus were unsuitable for other uses. The vessels were usually placed near the furnace. If previously the unbroken inner lid was removed, was the scent - enhanced by the heat - flow out through the perforated lid.

Others

The - rather unsightly - fillings of potpourris were later replaced by dry mixtures of plant parts with fragrances (eg essential oils ) could be refreshed again and again. This transformed in the course of time the shape of the vessels and it was also shallow bowls - some with a perforated lid - made ​​and used. In other disappeared special " Potpourri " vessels and the term " Potpourri" is now used for the fragrance mixture itself.

Literature and links

• Entry in Meyers encyclopedia
• Potpourri. In: Heinrich August Pierer, Julius Lobe (eds.): Universal Dictionary of the past and present. 4th edition. Vol 13, Altenburg 1861, p 438 (online at zeno.org ).
• Explanation in museum.zib.de
• Paul Zubek: Schleswig- Holstein faience. Neumünster 1983.

• Household
• Ceramic vessel
• Smell