Old Spanish Bottle found in the Mohave Desert

[Ed]

Below are pictures of an old bottle I found burried on my small ranch in Phelan, California (located near the Cajon Pass / SW Mohave Desert).

I've done some research, but haven't discovered much info related to the bottle. The design within the shield inside of the "Coat of Arms" is the flag of Barcelona, Spain. However I haven't discovered anything about "Jose Pruneda". Anyone familiar with California History knows about the Spanish Explorers & the Missions before California became a state. The first exploration by the Spanish documented in my area was in 1771. I thinks the bottle style would perhaps date it to the mid/late-1800's ?

The bottle is 5 3/4" high, the base size is 1 3/4" x 1 7/16" (146mm x 46mm x 37mm).
Only the side shown above has writting, and a diagonal seam runs across from "corner to corner", except where the round base of the neck intercepts it through the top rectangular portion of the bottle.

The bottle reads ;
AGUA DE BARCELONA_____Water of Barcelona
LECHE DE LA SULTANA____Milk of the Sultana
JOSE PRUNEDA
BARCELONA 

We always find all sorts of old items around here, and have collected several dozen old
bottles dating perhaps from the late 1800's thru the early 1900's, but this bottle is the most unique.

Any input would be appreciated ! Thank You.

 

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[gollum]

I can't find the exact bottle, but it looks like a Patent Medicine Bottle from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Barcelona Water and Sultan's Milk sound an awful lot like Patent Medicine.

Where did you find it? Around Dale somewhere?

Best,

Mike

 

[Ed]

I can't find the exact bottle, but it looks like a Patent Medicine Bottle from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Barcelona Water and Sultan's Milk sound an awful lot like Patent Medicine.

Where did you find it? Around Dale somewhere?

Best,

Mike

North West of Cajon Pass. Old maps of early surveys show a trail from the Oro Grande area headed into West Cajon Valley running through (or very close) our property.

An older Spanish speaking person at work said it was "Snake Oil", ?.

The bottle has atleast sparked an new interest for a subject (bottles) that I know little about. Over the years me & my wife have found several dozen unbroken older bottles around here , we have kept them all.

 

[gord]

" AGUA DE BARCELONA_____Water of Barcelona
+ LECHE DE LA SULTANA____Milk of the Sultana "

? = Raisin Wine ?
(unless 'Sultana' refers to a Sultan's primary wife ?)

 

[gollum]

hey,

"Snake Oil" is a derogatory term for Patent Medicine. Since most Patent Medicines didn't really do anything, and most people had no idea what was in them, they started calling them Snake Oil.

Best,

Mike

 

[Ed]

hey,

"Snake Oil" is a derogatory term for Patent Medicine. Since most Patent Medicines didn't really do anything, and most people had no idea what was in them, they started calling them Snake Oil.

Best,

Mike

I did some research today about Patent Medicines, very interesting subject ! I was really surprised to learn about the radioactive water that was once sold as a health tonic.

 

[Ed]

" AGUA DE BARCELONA_____Water of Barcelona
+ LECHE DE LA SULTANA____Milk of the Sultana "

? = Raisin Wine ?
(unless 'Sultana' refers to a Sultan's primary wife ?)

Your right, Sultana has both diffenitions.
Wine would make more sense, except the bottle isn't very big. It probally holds 4 fluid oz.

But after reading alot of wierd stuff about Patent Medicines, it wouldn't surprise me if it was refering to the Milk from the Sultans Wife !

 

[AOSDC]

LOL It's the first "HORCHATA" drink....

 

[TreasureTales]

Your description sounds like a 3 piece mold was used in making your bottle. The seams and the bottoms of bottles will yield lots of information about age. I would imagine that the Spanish had just as many quacks selling "medicines" in the late 1800s as we Americans did. Your bottle collection sounds quite interesting. Perhaps sometime you will post pictures of some of your other finds. Bottles are really interesting bits of history. Have you tried using a metal detector to find lost Spanish or Mexican coins in the same areas as where the bottles have been found?

 

[chong2]

i like this one

 

[Ed]

Your description sounds like a 3 piece mold was used in making your bottle. The seams and the bottoms of bottles will yield lots of information about age. I would imagine that the Spanish had just as many quacks selling "medicines" in the late 1800s as we Americans did. Your bottle collection sounds quite interesting. Perhaps sometime you will post pictures of some of your other finds. Bottles are really interesting bits of history. Have you tried using a metal detector to find lost Spanish or Mexican coins in the same areas as where the bottles have been found?

Because of camera problems, I drew the bottom of this bottle, I hope this helps !

BOLD BLACK Line = bottle outter perimeter
RED LINE = portion of bottle's "contact" surface (part that makes contact on table)
GREY LINE = concave area / inner white rectangle inset approx. 1/8"


I would love to post many more photos of all the items we have recovered, and I will soon as I can (current problem with camera download hardware). Many of the bottles include identification, such as "LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S VEGETABLE COMPOUND / LYONS - FOR THE HAIR / MERCITAN LOTION by THE L.D. CAULK COMPANY (triangular bottle) / BROMOSELTZER (sm & lg blue bottles) / MAJOR'S CEMENT " just name a few.
We've also found other items including very rusted hand tools, broken Wagon front Axle with attached Leaf Spring (spring leafs arranged parrallel with axle), 17 Granite Bricks (hand carved, approx 8"x5"x4"), 2 copper sm cents? (worn smooth), and other misc. items.
Much of what was found was in a particular area of a small wash running through a corner of our property. Items may have been trapped by a barrier of thorny shrubs, at which point the wash spreads out and basicly ends.
The strangest item I remember finding (having trouble re-locating) was a wooden "poker-chip like" object which had a "yellow swastika" through it, the swastika was made of a harder material (possibly ceramic ?) and was inserted into the 1 1/2" dia. wooden disc., viewing the design from either side (viewing a "reverse swastika" ). Because of the items design most commonly being associated to "Hittler", perhaps it was thrown away, or it may have been swiped by a visitor ? Nobody seems to know (or admit) anything regarding its whereabouts, but I believe the item pre-dated Hittler's Nazi Era.

Thank You very much for your help & interest.

 

[TreasureTales]

Thanks for adding information about the other things you've found on your land. Sounds like a very interesting bunch of items. The Nazis used a symbol that had been around for centuries when they made their swaztikas. If I remember correctly, the design was even used by Native Americans as the four winds or the four directions or something like that. So although the design is connected to the Nazis since the 1930s or so, the design is much older and is actually benign.

Can't help date your bottle I'm afraid without seeing the actual bottom. But it is a nice embossed bottle with a great color. The triangular bottle also sounds interesting. Hope you'll be able to post more pictures in the near future.

 

[lonewolfe]

cool find

hh

 

[gord]

Many of the bottles include identification, such as "LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S VEGETABLE COMPOUND"

You have a famous one there:

http://www.mum.org/mrspink17.htm