Lécythiophile or Lécythomyrophile {Perfume Words}

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A lécythiophile (masc.) or less commonly, lécythomyrophile, is a word employed in French and English (without the accent) to designate a miniature perfume bottle collector.

"Lécythiophile" literally means the friend of the lécythe (masc.) from ancient Greek lekythos, which used to refer to a vase containing oil or perfume destined to bodycare during the Greek antiquity.......

They were often used by athletes as well as used as funerary vases to be put on tombs as offerings.

The shape of this type of vase was usually long, with a long narrow neck and a large mouthpiece, although as the lecythe decorated with a sculpture of a winged Eros from the British Museum shows, there were ornate variations of the standard shape.

(Photos from musee-lapidaire.org, British Museum)

Posted by Marie-Helene Wagner on July 23, 2007 | Permalink

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How a propos!

Greek and history being my fields I have had this as a moniker on a forum for quite some time (more than a year). Do you know that no one ever asked me what it means? I sure hope they find out now.

Oh btw, forgot to tell you that I linked your "Night Porter" article in one of my recent posts on the blog and quoted you. Hope it's OK, I had found it of great interest. Hopefully more people will read it again. It was thought-provoking.

Posted by: helg | July 23, 2007

Do you collect miniature perfume bottles or is it just because you like the word? I remember your mentioning that your field was archeology and antique amphorae (?)

Thank you for the link! I will go visit. I saw you had a thought-provoking series of articles.

Posted by: Marie-Hélène | July 23, 2007

Dear MH,
I do have a small collection of miniature bottles but mostly I find the word exquisite. And yes, you remember well :-)

You're very welcome (for the link): it deserved to be linked, you had written a very good article on a very intriguing film. It had stuck in my mind and it was the appropriate thing to do when the chance rose.

Posted by: helg | July 24, 2007

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