Cobalt Glass and Opaline Uranium Cameo

Traveling for antiques is essentially cardio with better souvenirs, and on one such expedition I found myself in a place that looked like it hadn’t been dusted since Franz Josef was emperor. There, gleaming smugly from a cluttered shelf, was a cobalt Bohemian perfume bottle that clearly knew it was the star of the room. Its etched gilding winked at me, and the applied opaline white uranium cameo decoration glowed just enough to suggest it had opinions of its own. Circa 1880–1900, it radiated the kind of charm that makes your wallet sigh in resignation. I left feeling victorious, carrying history—and probably a little dust—out into the daylight.