“In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as bottles became an abundant and disposable resource used to package liquor, medicine, food, cleaning products, and more, a subset of folk artists began using these discarded glass containers as stages for their miniature sculptures. Beginning with petite religious shrines made in Europe, the trend spread to the United States and encompassed a wide range of subjects. Most people today are familiar with the common novelty of a ship-in-a-bottle, but few have seen the true variety of bottle whimseys or puzzle bottles that were made, ranging from multi-level coal-mining miniatures to bawdy bar scenes, many featuring complex decorative stoppers in place of a standard cork.” - Oatman-Sanford, Hunter. “Bottled Up: Three Centuries of Whimsey Constructed Within Walls of Glass.” Collector’s Weekly. April 20th, 2020.

Varying sizes and condition, see below for more detail. Sold individually, as is.

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