SNUFF SCHIAPARELLI MENS SCENT GLASS PIPE GUERYCOLAS (04/02/2011)...

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SNUFF SCHIAPARELLI MENS SCENT GLASS PIPE GUERYCOLAS ART

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SNUFF SCHIAPARELLI MENS SCENT GLASS PIPE GUERYCOLAS ART

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Sold Date: 04/02/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Glass

Up for auction is an extremely well-preserved presentation box of Schiaparelli men's scent, Snuff, some of the (presumably original) amber liquid still intact in the unusual glass-pipe-shaped bottle / container. I believe the item is from the 1940s - 1950s, but I'm not absolutely certain of this. The bottle and box were acquired in the United States, so I assume the scent was intended for the North American market (the fact that one of the short sides has "BOX MADE IN FRANCE" printed on it, to the lower right of an all-angular capital "S", also may indicate the item was exported to the U.S.

For more on the Italian-born Paris-based couturiere and fragrance designer Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973), see her Wikipedia entry, among other sources: /wiki/Elsa_Schiaparelli

The fragrance (I'm not sure if it's eau de cologne or eau de toilette or what) comes in its original paper-covered rectangular box, which is shaped and decorated like a cigar box -- even the underside has a wood-grain like paper surface, with gilt edges -- and measures 7 inches wide by 4 inches high by 1-3/4 inches deep (17.5 x 10 x 4.5 cm), when closed. The box opens to show some beautiful, and colorful, artwork on the underside of the lid, signed "F. Guerycolas" on the bottom right (see close-up photo), next to a gold medallion / disc with London Bridge on it (and the title "Londres"). The other three medallions show "New York" (with the Statue of Liberty on it), "12 Place Vendome" (presumably Maison Schiaparelli's Paris address), and "Paris 1940" (with the Eiffel Tower on it). The medallions are at the four corners of the lid art, which has a multicolored / rainbow-hued banner at the top, reading "POUR MONSIEUR", and in the center an ovoid title card reading "PARFUM / SNUFF / DE / Schiaparelli / PARIS FRANCE". There are two cornucopias overflowing with colorful fruit at the sides, and below are various blossoms, also in vivid hues. The central decorative motif is set against a watery background: at the left can be seen an ocean liner at sea and at the right a sailboat leaning to the right (sorry I don't know how to describe this in boater's language).

I've not been able to find out much about the French artist / illustrator Fernand Guerycolas -- whose surname is sometimes rendered as Guery-Colas (there's an acute accent on the "e" of "Guery") -- but here's a Web page with a lovely Art Deco-style drawing of his on it: /digitalcollections/adaccess_BH1528/# . And here's a page with a reproduction of a Guery-Colas landscape painting on it: /auctions/en/gu%C3%A9ry_colas_fernand/artist/232898/ . And here a page with a still life by him: /past_auctions/july_weapons/51-60.html (it sold on an Internet e- auction for over $1,500 -- not sure when, however).

The large pink, red, gold, and white label, or oversized "cigar band," dominating the outside of the box and covering much of the top and two small sides, is another stunning work of art -- I'm not sure who designed it, though (there's no signature or initials on it). Shell, flower, scroll, and circle motifs adorn the label, among others, and the oval at the left features a gold and black stylized female figure (in over the knee black boots, no less) with her left arm and right leg raised. She's set in a white shield, with a red heart above and a red scroll below reading "MARQUE / DE / FABRIQUE". Below that it reads "PARIS - FRANCE" and all around this design is a grayish (really a black-and-white finely hatched) border with the word "SNUFF" at the top and "SCHIAPARELLI" at the bottom. The band, obviously, had to be torn at the top sides to open the box and see the contents, but pretty much all of this elaborate, and asymmetrical, label / band is intact (see aforementioned close-up photo of the side with the "S" on it). Note that the other short side, with another scroll design, but without the letter "S," has some letters and numbers printed on it in red at the very bottom: at the left i...