Fragrance Bottles Public sale 2023: The world’s most fantastic flaçons… may very well be yours!

Set your alarms proper now, as a result of on Friday April 28, beginning at 4pm Jap Time in America, the thirty fifth annual Perfume Bottles Auction will conduct its dwell on-line public sale – with bidders around the globe logging in to strive their luck at proudly owning a few of the world’s most distinctive fragrance bottles.

Right here, we take a sneak peek on the fabulous catalogue forward of the sale, to indicate you a few of our favourites, and we’ll be catching up with how the sale went within the subsequent problem of The Scented Letter journal, so keep tuned…

Since 1979, organiser and founding father of The Fragrance Bottles Public sale, Ken Leach, has been working ‘to create public and company consciousness of the artistry to be present in classic fragrance presentation.’ His vintage store’s show-stopping merchandise ‘has served as a supply of inspiration for glass corporations, package deal designers, and superstar perfumers, earlier than finally coming into the collections of fragrance bottle fans across the globe.’

With unparalleled entry to personal collections and by no means earlier than seen items, the yearly public sale garners enormous pleasure within the perfume world. Some really uncommon and beautiful objects will probably solely be within the attain of significant collectors, however different items might be obtainable costs – all of it relies upon what number of different persons are lusting after the identical bottle, in fact!

Every year, we sit up for our associates on the Fragrance Bottles Public sale  their catalogue with us (which is a feast for the eyes in itself, in addition to encompassing an enormous quantity of necessary historical past behind the bottles and fragrances); and we swear every year’s assortment is even higher than the final!

So, what does the 2023 Fragrance Bottles Public sale stash have in retailer for us? Let’s check out simply a few of our private highlights…

This ‘Extraordinary 1934 Parfums de Burmann Pleine Lune sur le Nil (Full Moon on the Nile) black crystal Egyptian Revival fragrance bottle’, was offered ‘together with the launching of the newly established Burmann fragrance firm and store on the Champs Elysees. Nonetheless, each the fragrance and the bottle proved to be too costly to supply, and this bold mission was not pursued.’ Estimated to attain $30,000–$40,000, and being so uncommon; no marvel it’s {the catalogue}’s cover-star.

This dazzling piece is a 1946 Salvador Dali design, produced by Baccarat (no 798) for Elsa Schiaparelli Le Roy Soleil (The Solar King), and ‘The Duchess of Windsor having been one of many first to obtain one, wrote to Schiaparelli: “It’s actually probably the most stunning bottle ever made, and the Roy Soleil is a really lasting and candy gentleman. I can not inform you how I admire your giving me such a good-looking current which has displaced the Duke’s {photograph} on the coiffeuse!” Schiaparelli wrote in her autobiography that it was “…too costly and too subtle for most people, however…not destined to die.”‘ (Estimate $10,000–$12,000)

We’ve seen images of this extraordinary bottle circulating on-line beforehand, these variations typically in lower than pristine situation, whereas this piece is immaculate and has a lot for data to go together with it. It’s a ‘1925 De Marcy L’Orange trompe l’oeil presentation, simulates a halved orange, glazed ceramic bowl holding eight orange segments in a steel body, blown glass fragrance bottles in good situation.’ Which of the fragrances would you may have liked to scent first? Every section held one Chypre, Ambre, Rose, Héliotrope, Jasmin, Muguet, Mimosa and Violette. (Personally, we’d have been on the Chypre and Ambre.) Estimate $800–$1,000, it’s positive to show a-peeling [sorry!]

We’re loving the side-eye this cheeky minx is serving within the ‘1925 Favoly’s La Poupee Parisienne presentation for Chypre hand painted blown glass fragrance bottle, metallic thread bow.’ Estimated $200–$400, she may very well be coming house to occasion together with your fragrance assortment should you’re fortunate. (And obvs she was a Chypre gal – with that expression, what else?)

This French ‘Twenties Hetra for Elesbe Le Papillon Embaume butterfly‘ bottle was made for a  presentation of Oeillet (Carnation) scent. Fully darling, and we don’t know if we’d slightly show it or run round giddily taking part in with whereas whooping with pleasure [don’t worry Perfume Bottles Auction pals, we wouldn’t really play with it. Much.] Estimated $600–$800, fans ought to get their nets on the prepared.

The work on this ‘Sea Weeds’ mannequin bottle is kind of breathtaking, and it’s a ‘1925 Andre Jollivet design, produced by La Verrerie de la Nesle Normandeuse for Volnay Yapana clear glass fragrance bottle, deeply molded entrance and reverse, blue patina, interior stopper, silvered steel cap, embossed label on facet. Among the bottles really are artwork items in their very own proper, and this one actually belongs in that class. $2,000–$4,000

Effectively now, that is irresistible, isn’t it? A ‘1944 Elizabeth Arden music box presentation for On dit (They are saying) clear/ frost glass bottle and canopy, with interior stopper, sealed with fragrance, as two women, their heads touching, one whispering a secret to the opposite…’ And what is the gossip, we marvel?! With panels of the field exhibiting varied excessive society social scenes, the place little question the reason for the chin-wagging occurred, it is a pleasant, whimsical piece we might stare at for hours.

There are SO many extra we love, however to indicate all of them could be to mainly reproduce your complete catalogue, so why not go and have a browse (and gasp) for your self? If one thing notably takes your fancy, you’ll be able to register for the 2023 Fragrance Bottles Public sale on-line: the directions for bidding are all there, and you probably have questions you’ll be able to ask these through their web site, too. Now then, which one(s) would you most wish to personal…?

[Our feature image for this article is the ‘1924 Julien Viard design, manufactured by Depinoix Glassworks for Bonwit Teller & Co, Paris Venez avec Moi (Come with Me). Estimated $4,000–$6,000. Utterly beguiling, non?]

Written by Suzy Nightingale