Vintage Apothecary Glass Bundle Optrex Cobalt Blue Eye Bath Beaker 4pc Lot
£60.00
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Vintage Apothecary Glass Bundle Optrex Cobalt Blue Eye Bath Beaker 4pc Lot
£60.00
Item Overview
- Type: Antique Apothecary Glassware Collection / Authentic Pharmaceutical Staging Bundle
- Designer: Specialized British Medical Glassware Artists
- Brand: Optrex Ltd, F T & Co Ltd, and Antique Unbranded Marques
- Manufacturer: Optrex Glass Works, F T & Co Foundry, and British Utility Glassworks
- MPN: Does Not Apply (Curated 4-piece historic collector group)
- Place of Origin: London / Great Britain (United Kingdom)
- Style: Edwardian Pharmacy / Turn-of-the-Century Medical Curiosities / Hollywood Regency Staging
- Colour: Intense Translucent Bristol Cobalt Blue, Deep Emerald Forest Green, Frosted Etched Gray, and Highly Polished Translucent Finishes
- Design Era: Late Victorian through Mid-20th Century (c. 1890s–1940s Collective Era)
- Material: Heavy-Gauge Hand-Blown Glass, Press-Moulded Cobalt & Emerald Utility Glasses
- Set Includes: Four (4) Total Authentic Medical Glass Pieces: One (1) Stamped F T & Co Ltd London 2.75" Cobalt Beaker (With etched cross), One (1) Hexagonal-Stem 2.5" Emerald Green Eye Bath, One (1) Waisted-Stem 2.5" Cobalt Blue Eye Bath, and One (1) Stamped Optrex 1.25" Low-Profile Cobalt Eye Cup (Complete 4-Piece Curated Lot)
- Features: Deeply Embossed Underbase Maker Marks, Acid-Etched Clinical Hospital Cross Symbol, Faceted Pedestal Columns, Ergonomic Orbital Saddle Rims, Weighted Anti-Slip Footing Bases
- Condition: Excellent Antique Condition (All four individual pieces are structurally immaculate, entirely free from upper rim fleabites, hairline fractures, or baseline storage chips; showcase beautiful age-appropriate internal air seeds and cooling seams diagnostic of historic utility glass—see comprehensive condition report below)
- Size and Capacity: Heights range from the low-profile Optrex cup standing at 1.25 inches (approx. 3.2 cm) up to the F T & Co measuring beaker standing at 2.75 inches (approx. 7.0 cm) tall.
Dating & Historical Context
- Dating: This premium collector lot spans from the late Victorian period to the mid-20th century. The etched hospital beaker and the fluted emerald cup represent early Edwardian utility ware (c. 1890–1910), while the low-profile Optrex cup represents iconic British industrial packaging design from the interwar/post-war era (c. 1930s–1940s).
- Historical Note: This group forms an exceptional educational capsule documenting the history of British commercial pharmacy safety. Before the late-20th-century development of disposable plastics, potent laboratory compounds and topical eyewash solutions were legally required to be housed or measured in heavily tinted glass. Deep cobalt blue and dark emerald green glass instantly alerted users in low-light environments that the vessel held targeted, non-ingestible treatments. The low-profile cup features a prominent embossed baseline reading “OPTREX SAFE-GUARDS SIGHT”, a famous motto launched by Optrex Ltd to promote optical hygiene in smoky, smog-filled British cities. The beaker carries the stamp of “F T & Co. Ltd. London”, a premier distributor of clinical equipment, complete with an acid-etched medical cross to signify hospital ward allocation.
Description
An exceptionally striking, high-value acquisition for collectors of medical ephemera, interior design stagers, or fine glass curators, this curated 4-piece apothecary lot offers incredible display presence. The bundle features an exquisite visual synergy, grouping three rich cobalt blue pieces side-by-side with a singular, deep emerald green fluted cup that provides a spectacular chromatic pop.
The collection showcases the evolution of ophthalmic care, featuring four individual historic components beautifully arranged for study or styling. Designed to be illuminated on a sunny window sill, arranged inside a bathroom vanity cabinet, or showcased on a library desk, this heritage group brings instant academic charm to any setting.
The Four Included Items & Individual Profiles:
- F T & Co Ltd London Cobalt Chemical Measure Beaker (c. 1890s–1910s): Crafted from a heavy hand-blown grade of authentic Bristol glass, this measuring beaker features a deeply embossed underbase chemist seal. The front face showcases a beautifully preserved, frosted acid-etched clinical hospital cross layout that cuts cleanly through the intense, high-gloss blue glass casing.
- Emerald Green Hexagonal-Stem Pedestal Eye Bath (c. 1890s–1910s): Press-moulded British utility glass cast in a striking, vibrant gemstone green hue. It features a classic six-sided fluted column stem, a wide circular foot baseline for maximum stability, and an ergonomically contoured orbital saddle rim designed to seal comfortably against the eye socket structure.
- Cobalt Blue Waisted-Stem Pedestal Eye Bath (c. 1890s–1910s): A spectacular visual partner to the green cup, cast in a deep, ink-like indigo cobalt tone. This piece showcases a smooth, rounded waisted pedestal stem flaring down onto a flat, ground perimeter footing base, topped with a traditional swept eye contour aperture.
- Optrex Low-Profile Flanged Cobalt Eye Cup (c. 1930s–1940s): A classic piece of mid-century industrial utility design featuring a low, stemless flanged architecture engineered to sit flat inside original cardboard product cartons alongside liquid wash bottles. The underbase houses a phenomenal, highly sought-after collector stamp reading: “OPTREX SAFE-GUARDS SIGHT”.
Expert Identification & Design Features:
- Optrex Typographic Underbase: The low-profile cobalt cup houses crisp, raised lettering documenting the historic Optrex Safe-Guards Sight trademark logo.
- F T & Co London Insignia: The measuring beaker retains its complete, deeply embossed manufacturer seal struck into the concave underside of the base.
- Frosted Acid-Etched Cross: The beaker showcases a beautifully preserved, textured clinical symbol that cuts cleanly through the high-gloss cobalt casing.
- Ergonomic Orbital Saddle Rims: All three eye baths are masterfully swept into contoured rim boundaries, specifically engineered to seal comfortably against the human eye socket matrix.
Condition Report
This 4-piece historical glassware bundle is in magnificent antique condition, presenting a superb museum-grade standard of preservation. All four pieces are structurally rigid, solid, and completely whole, entirely free from upper rim bites, perimeter baseline flakes, hairline stress fractures, or clouding. The glass bodies are exceptionally bright and clear throughout, entirely free from hard-water mineral lines, residue film, or internal cloudiness.
True to their authentic industrial manufacturing heritages, the pieces display typical period characteristics, including fine vertical mould cooling seams, cooling tool patterns, and small internal air seed bubbles from the kiln firings, all of which confirm their historical pedigree. (Please review the detailed macro gallery photographs showing each individual piece measured against the vintage wooden rule to confirm their pristine cosmetic state and scale parameters).
Shipping & Logistics
- Domestic Shipping: FREE UK TRACKED DELIVERY.
- Packaging: Each of the four glass pieces will be wrapped independently in multiple layers of heavy-duty bubble padding, nested within dedicated internal safety boxes to prevent clattering or surface friction, and shipped together inside a rigid container packed with cushioning to guarantee safe arrival.
- Dispatch: Order before 12.00pm and we ship same day.
Returns & Payment Policies
We want you to be delighted with your heritage find.
- Not as Described: In the unlikely event of an error in our listing, we will provide a full refund and cover the return postage costs.
- Change of Mind: We accept returns within 30 days; however, the buyer is responsible for the return shipping costs.