Two Palais Royal or Grand Tour Perfume Bottles, French, second half C19th

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Auction Begins: 28/08/26 09:00:00 BST

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LOT NUMBER 78
LOT NUMBER 78

Two Palais Royal or Grand Tour Perfume Bottles, French, second half C19th

Two square glass perfume bottles with elaborate gilt metal mounts, one (the smaller) with a glass stopper, and matching hinged covers, the tops inset with circular ‘verre églomisé’ or reverse glass paintings, possibly of Venetian scenes. These two bottles are typical examples of the luxury souvenir wares produced in France in the nineteenth century. Sometimes described as ‘Grand Tour’, since they were purchased when on a trip abroad, these pieces are also known as ‘Palais Royal’, the term derived from the boutiques and shops near to the Palais Royal in Paris where they could be bought. The decoration is always elaborate, with the lavish use of finely wrought gilt metal or ormolu work, and often employs paintings done in the ‘reverse glass’ or ‘verre églomisé technique (the name deriving from the 18th-century French decorator and art-dealer Jean-Baptiste Glomy who was responsible for its revival) in which delicate painted designs were applied to the reverse of a glass surface. These are usually scenes from the great European cities, especially Paris and Venice, and it is probably the latter which is the setting for the two images here, although these cannot be identified with any certainty. Collectors’ items at the time, they are eagerly sought after now and these two bottles would be an elegant addition to an existing display.

Measurements

(i) Bottle (no stopper) : Ht (max) 6.2cm, Ht (bottle 5cm, Width (cover/max) 3.5cm, Bottle 3.2cm x 3.2cm

(ii) Bottle (+stopper) : Ht (max) 6cm, Ht (bottle) 4.8cm, Width (cover/max) 3.5cm, Bottle 3.4cm x 3.4cm, Stopper length 1.8cm, Stopper width (max) 1cm

Size: See cataloguing above
Weight: 160gm (pair)
Date: Second half C19th
Condition: Good condition generally, one bottle (the larger) with the stopper missing and the other with the lid painting slightly indistinct
Estimate: £80 – 120

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