Cristalerias Rigolleau Argentina Ripamonti Marigold Bottle

This was a very interesting find on eBay, straight from the old country of Argentina. The lettering on the front says, Grandes Almacenes Ripamoni Rafaela.

It's a water or soda bottle with its original porcelain stopper in perfect condition. It bears the Cristalerias Rigolleau CR with a triangle trademark on the bottom along with the numbers 5653 beneath it. It's 11" tall without the cap and 11 1/2" with its cap in place. The base is 3" in diameter. At first, I thought it was ground but it turns out to be years and years of wear. It has a very elegant form and shape. The girth is 15" around at its widest part where the pattern, comprised of a series of Xs with tails, almost like bows, with drapes framing each one. The pattern seems oddly familiar but the name of it is unknown to me....for now.

My friend from Brazil, Claudio Deveikis, spoke to his friend, Sergio, an avid bottle collector in Argentina, who tells us Rigolleau is a bottle factory in Berazategui, in Bs.As. Province, and is still manufacturing  bottles. He says 80% of Rigalleau's bottles are made there but this bottle is an exception. It was made in another place.

Ripamonti was a general store, named after Faustino Ripamonti from Italy, who opened for business in 1888 in the city of Rafaela, in the province of Santa Fe near Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a conglomeration of stores and buildings known as the first shopping center in that region.

Here, people could purchase just about anything, from common household items, tools, hardware on up to farm equipment and machinery as well as very exquisite garments and luxury items, including cars. There was a huge sheltered area where travelers coming from afar could sit down and have something to eat and also try out some of the foods that were sold there like meats, olives cheese, sardines, anchovies and fresh bread.....all washed down by a great bottle of water!

Ripamonti closed in 1973 due to financial problems. In 1991, the original location was declared a municipal interest through an ordinance and is now being preserved as a provincial historical monument.

The Christina Katsikas Collection