Smoke and ocherous ombre bottle, hand painted with sage flowers. Authentic, Nassau Ober-Selters Mineral Water Salt-Glazed bottle. Stamped and numbered M, No 4.
The Antiquary's Story:
Smoke and ocherous ombre bottle, hand painted with sage flowers. Authentic, stamped Nassau Ober-Selters Mineral Water Salt-Glazed bottle. Numbered M, No 4, indicating the city of origin.
This was the original La Croix, Spindrift or Topo Chico, and its story is an interesting one.
Although seltzer existed as far back as the classical era, the mid-18th century saw an emergence of upper-class interest in wellness and #spalife. Towns began to open around naturally occurring mineral springs, where the water was soon bottled and shipped internationally. Promising medicinal benefits, the demand for this new water rose significantly. The word “Seltzer” is derived from one of the original towns, Niederselters, which is located in Germany.
Today, it is a trademark of the Millennial generation—often called the Wellness generation—and rose to popularity over the past several years, thanks to Instagram. Shared as part of this generations health and well-being, . much like their predecessors several hundred years ago. Of course, scientists have found no real added benefits to consuming carbonated water, but we love it just the same.