Vintage D' Orsay Chevalier (1918) Baccarat Bottles ( (04/10/2011)...

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Vintage D' Orsay Chevalier (1918) Baccarat Bottles (5)

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Vintage D' Orsay Chevalier (1918) Baccarat Bottles (5)

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Sold Date: 04/10/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Glass

Welcome to Marie's Vintage Perfumes. This store is a collection of vintage perfume bottles from the estate of Marie-Louise Fredyma, my mother who passed away in 2010 after nearly 70 years in the antique business. Marie's perfumes were a special place in her collection of antiques and vintage items and are now offered for sale as part of her estate.

Description:

Vintage Vintage D' Orsay Chevalier (1918) Baccarat Bottles (5). One bottle of D' Orsay Chevalier with gold label "Chevalier D' Orsay " on front. Bottom is stamped "France" and has acid etching "3". Sides of bottle are stamped on side "Gratuit" and opposite side "Enchantant". Bottle is 1/4 with original perfume.

Set of 4 empty D' Orsay bottles that are Baccarat. Bottles are empty with no labels. Bottles are stamped on side "Gratuit" and opposite side "Enchantant". Bottles are 2 3/4" in height and 1" wide.

Bottom is marked with a acid etchings that is related to bottles made by Baccarat. E arly perfumes often used Baccarat bottles in their production which are often sought by vintage perfume collectors. Bottles prior to 1936 were not always stamped Baccarat. See /Dating-Vintage-Baccarat-Perfume-Bottles_W0QQugidZ10000000003949353

Background:

Parfums D'Orsay was established in 1865. Its first product, L'Eau de Bouquet , was said to be a perfume created by the firm's namesake, Count Alfred D'Orsay, who had died thirteen years before Parfums D'Orsay was born.

Companie Française des Parfums d'Orsay was established in 1908. In 1995 the D'Orsay name was, once again, revived (they are still struggling to get their website up).

During the first half of the 20th Century, D'Orsay was a major marketer of perfumes promoted for their image more than for their fragrance. The image of the D'Orsay fragrances was based on the life and legend of Count Alfred D'Orsay (1801-1852), best known for his role in the fashion world as a "Dandy", second only in Dandism to England's Beau Brummel.

But D'Orsay was also known to have been a talented sketch artist as can be seen in his work that has survived. He was also alleged to have been an amateur perfumer.

The amateur perfumer claim is made more credible by the observations of his contemporaries that he was known for wearing six pair of gloves a day — reindeer gloves for his morning ride, chamois gloves for hunting, beaver gloves for the ride to London, braided kid gloves for afternoon shopping, yellow dogskin gloves for a dinner party, and finally, lambskin gloves embroidered with silk for an evening ball.

The significance of the gloves is, of course, in their relationship to perfume. Glove makers and perfume makers were part of the same (French) guild — the guild which was to establish Grasse as the heart of French perfumery. (Grasse's glovemakers had begun to develop perfumes to knock the stench out of the leather from which their gloves were made.)

This possible thread of relationship between D'Orsay and perfume was enough to spark the creation of Parfums D'Orsay. But it was the long dead Count's social connections and high fashion lifestyle that powered the marketing efforts of Parfums D'Orsay. D'Orsay's fragrances were given names that related to Count D'Orsay themes, the most obvious being the 1923 introduction of Le Dandy , a direct reference to the dead Count. It is likely that other D'Orsay fragrance names had "insider" meanings not understood by the general, perfume buying public.

D'Orsay employed leading glassmakers to create its bottles. These included René Lalique (who came into bottle making reluctantly but then thrived at it) and Baccarat. We also know that several of the D'Orsay bottles have gained more prominence in recent years than the fragrances they once held.

We also know of that D'Orsay that they were well up on trends in their own niche. They had sales outlets in Paris, London, New York and elsewhere in Europe. They were quick to see what was succeeding for others and come ou...