Perfume Bottles

In the affluent Belle Époque, the perfume trade flourished as a luxury industry. The acclaimed designer René Lalique (1860–1945) replaced the customary standard bottle with cast-glass flacons featuring elaborate stoppers. Flowers refer to the floral notes of the scent within, while the snake or nighttime stars evoke erotic promise. The names, too, go beyond a mere description of the ingredients. Mitsouko conjures up images of distant lands, while Flèches d’Amour or Imprudence elicit romantic dreams. The genre is enlivened today by utilitarian objects such as Jean-Paul Gaultier’s practical can or Tom Ford’s music cassette.