Is this an extract or medicine bottle?

JustM

I have done a lot of reading about dating antique bottles since I purchased this but I am still somewhat stumped as to what may have been in this bottle originally. On sha.org "gothic" bottles are listed as being for either extracts/sauces or pickles (this is obviously not a pickle container) but it also says oval bottles were used for medicine. Has anyone seen this bottle before or know the date?

Bottle details : just under 6 inches tall and has air vents but a different number of them on each side and four on the bottom. There are no makers marks on the bottom but it does have a slight circular mark that looks like there was some extra glass there that ended up flattening out while the glass was still hot. The man I bought it from said it was found locally (in N FL) but that he doesn't come across many of them since digging here.

JustM

The other side.

historic

This bottle has been irradiated to give it that purple color.

It is a tough call - it could be medicine but possibly a food item as well - as you say, extract or sauce would fit this style from what I have seen of labeled bottles over the years.

The only way to know for sure is to find a labeled example or stumble across a vintage ad which shows the product.

JustM

Thank you! :) I figured it had been irradiated. It was purchased at a art and antiques show and there were multiple vendors selling suspiciously large amounts of purple bottles so I knew something was up but the bottle was pretty so I bought it. I'm not really a glass collector although researching this one has piqued my interest and I may start now. lol