Tear bottles are not well known except by those who study Civil War memorial traditions and/or the women of the Civil War Society. They are bottles used in a memorial service among female relatives and friends. The article to follow explains it well.
This bottle is gilded with gold that is hand-painted on the hand-blown glass vial and heated to make the gold decoration adhere permanent. On two sides of the bottle are vines of Rosemary which were used during wakes for the meaning of “REMEMBERANCE”. This vial measures 6 3/4 inches long and 5/8 of an inch wide, which is the correct length of this time period.

Tear Bottle History:
The Tear Bottle has been used in America from the 1720’s until only shortly after the Civil War. They are found in several historical museums in the United States. It was a tradition used in both the North and the South. This was a custom that the highest level of social status in society participated in upon the death of a husband or child. The wife (or Mother – if a child died) would with her close women friends; hold a memorial service on the day of the death, but before the Sun set on the day of their death. A friend or sister would formally present the Wife with a glass bottle, and then during the memorial service she would weep into the bottle. At the end of the service they would seal around the glass stopper with bee’s wax or paraffin. The woman would save the bottle to remember the loss of her husband or child. The tradition was taken from the Bible in the book of Psalms 56.8 written by David. This bottle was also called a weeping bottle or tear vial. This bottle was saved by the woman for a year. It was a tradition to empty the tears from the bottle onto the grave on the first anniversary of the death of the loved one.

The saving of tears goes back to Ancient Rome, the people wept for Emperors (Caesar) when they died. There are different shapes then the 18th and 19th Century bottles.
Some traditional accounts hold that the weeping or tear bottles would then be empted over the grave on the first anniversary of the death.
The book “Mourning Art and Jewelry” makes reference to the use of Tear Bottles and a photo and price of $325 are shown in the publication 2004 for a 6 inch bottle.
Tear Vials are a rare and an interesting Sentimental Memorabilia and this bottle is special because of the Amber colored glass plus the hand painted gold gilt. The bottle is in great condition.