Name/Title
Wooden souvenir perfume bottle (Bulgarian rose-oil holder)Entry/Object ID
2025.6.31Description
Small turned-wood flask of blond hardwood, burnished with visible lathe/scored surface texture. The body is a flat round disc (lentil form) raised on a low turned foot; a waisted neck rises to a turned stopper topped by a ball finial. Decoration combines pyrography (wood-burned outlines) with hand-painted accents in red, green/teal, blue, and white: the disc face carries a four-petal rosette with a green center and small budded sprigs; the neck bears a "jeweled" band of paint dots above a burned scalloped collar; the foot has a burned scalloped border. The form is consistent with souvenir holders that enclose a small glass vial of rose oil; whether a vial or contents remain inside cannot be determined from the exterior.Use
Belonged to Mirta MartínezContext
This is a characteristic Bulgarian folk-craft souvenir — a turned and pyrographed wooden case traditionally holding a vial of Bulgarian rose oil (rose otto/attar) or rose perfume, the country's signature export from the Rose Valley (Kazanlak/Karlovo region). Such pieces were produced in quantity as inexpensive gifts and tourist items across the mid-to-late 20th century. Sold in Cuba.Collection
The Martínez Suquet family collection, Mirta Martínez Forteza collectionAcquisition
Accession
2025.6Source or Donor
Mirta SuquetAcquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Place
Country
BulgariaRegion
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeNotes
Maker: Bulgarian folk/souvenir woodcraft workshop, individual maker unattributed (origin attributed by craft tradition and decorative technique; no maker's mark is visible on the object).
Date: circa 1950s–1980s (tentative). These souvenirs were made over a long span and the form/technique are not closely datable; consistent with the collection's period but not precisely fixable from the object.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
EngravingTranscription
BulgariaDimensions
Height
9 cmDimension Notes
one bottle is 2 cms wide, the other is 4 cms wideParts
Turned wooden body with integral foot; separate turned wooden stopper with ball finial; interior glass vialAccessories
Accessory
bottleNotes
One of the cases is missing the small bottle inside, where the perfume was keptMaterials
Material
Wood, GlassMaterial Notes
Turned light hardwood; pyrographic (scorched) decoration; hand-applied paint and a clear finish/lacquer; interior glass vialRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Mirta Martínez FortezaNotes
ownerRelated Places
Place
City
Pinar del RíoState/Province
Pinar del RíoCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
ownershipPlace
Country
BulgariaRegion
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeNotes
productionCreated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
March 31, 2022Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 15, 2026
