Is it PUCE?

Hi all,

Well Jim (Botlguy) got me thinking more about this color, and like another Jim (epackage) mentioned it seems to be so widely used anymore when describing a bottles color. There's no doubt I love the color as do many of the rest of you fine bottle folks! Maybe we can start a thread here to help us all better define the inconsistency and cuss and discuss whether a bottle truly is PUCE or a shade of it. The many different terms associated with different shades of it as well. I've seen, copper puce, strawberry puce, cherry puce, peach puce, pink puce, etc. So what is this color we call Puce? I know this could be a tough thread as everyones eyes are open to different interpretation, seeing a bottle in hand makes all the difference too sometimes. Maybe tho, it will help us get a little better understanding as i've seen countless bottles with amber or amber tones being described as Puce. Please post any photos you may have to help us all learn a little more. I suspect a certain Dyottville Eagle might even show up too?! []

The color appears to have been of French origin.

Merriam-Webster describes it as:

Puce
noun ˈpyüs
Definition of PUCE

: a dark red

The Free Dictionary describes it as:

Puce (pys)
n.
A deep red to dark grayish purple.

Wikipedia's definition:
Puce (often misspelled as "puse", "peuse" or "peuce") is a color that is defined as ranging from light grayish red-violet to medium to dark purplish-brown, with the latter being the more widely accepted definition found in reputable sources. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the use of "puce" (in couleur puce) from 1787. The first recorded use of puce as a color name was in the 14th century, in the French language.

Ferdinand Meyer did an article on it as well on his Peachridge Glass site:

http://www.peachridgeglass.com/2012/11/what-is-puce-or-pooce-as-some-call-it/

Here are a few barrel photos I have open for discussion to maybe get the convo going too...

A shade of Puce?







Different lighting...



A dark barrel...



With a strong intense background light...

In my opinion that color term is widely mis-used when applied to antique bottles. Once in a great while that term is correctly applied to a bottle out here in the west. Most of the time the owner is just color blind. About the only bottle made in the west that I would consider truly puce in color is the E. Wideman & J. Chappaz embossed bottle made by the Pacific Glass Works most likely in 1864.

I believe it is alot of the time as well Warren. Do you have a photo of the Wideman & Chappaz bottle?

~Tim

Not mine but I wish! []

A couple of Boardman sodas...

Puce?

I see auction sites throwing out the color term "apricot" . Is that some variant of puce?

Hey I didn't know the "Pooce Eagle" made it to the top of Peachridge's Puce page. Now I don't have to post a pic and compare colors.[]

ORIGINAL: bottlekid76


I believe it is alot of the time as well Warren. Do you have a photo of the Wideman & Chappaz bottle?

~Tim

Click to expand...

No I don't Tim. There is a picture of one on the American Bottle Auction's website.

I kind of see why your asking in pic 6 but the other five lead me to not. If majority rules then no in my opinion. Of coarse that doesn't mean butternut squash.

ORIGINAL: cowseatmaize

I kind of see why your asking in pic 6 but the other five lead me to not. If majority rules then no in my opinion. Of coarse that doesn't mean butternut squash. 

Click to expand...

But it means Acorn Squash []

ORIGINAL: RICKJJ59W

Hey I didn't know the "Pooce Eagle" made it to the top of Peachridge's Puce page. Now I don't have to post a pic and compare colors.[]

Click to expand...

this is puce other colors then this is wishful thinking....