Julien Viard Mouillette Bottle

This rare Lalique style bottle from the 1924 is designed by Julien Viard for M.Naef & Cie, a perfumery chemical company during the early part of the 20th century. Made up of clear and frosted glass with a wild grasses design and enhanced with sienna patina. Stands 8" tall. The octagonal base is made up of black glass inscribed at the front: M. NAEF & Cie S.A. Genève.Base signed on the back: J. Viard.

This bottle was meant to hold mouillettes, or fragrance blotters, used for testing perfumes. A blotter would be dipped into the perfume bottle, allowed to dry and held under the nose for sniffing.  A must for any perfume bottle collector.

Later usage:

20.5 cm, 8 inches. frosted glass door mouillettes smoked on its base octagonal black glass. Reissue the firm Firmenich (circa 1970) after the creation of Julien Viard. Titrated based on gold Firmenich. FIRMENICH (smelling holder) (J.VIARD) Mouillette smoked frosted glass holder in icts on octagonal base in dark glass. New edition by the firm FIRMENICH (circa 1970) after a Julien Viard's creation. Gold titled on the base Firmenich.

JULIEN VIARD scent-strip holder for Firmenich, circa 1960s, limited edition by Firmenich, in clear and frosted black and gray glass, with gilt name label. Molded APRES (after) J. VIARD. Ht. 8 1/2". Photo by Rago Arts

Chabrawichi

Chabrawichi, alternative spelling Chabrawicke, a company located in Cairo, Egypt, produced essential oils and fragrances.  First established in 1924, the Chabrachi fragrance factory in Giza was the oldest and largest perfume and cosmetics company. Some of their labels will state "Le Caire", some sources erroneously state that this is for the "Le Claire" stores, but it just means Cairo, Egypt, where the Chabrawichi company was located.

La Reine Des Crémes and J. Lesquendieu

La Reine Des Crémes (The Queen of Creams) was the name of a skin cream produced by both Bossard-Lemaire and J. Lesquendieu, both of Paris France. The Lemaire marked creams were packaged in porcelain jars and date to around 1860-1920. The Lesquendieu marked cream was packaged in porcelain jars during 1903 - 1920s, and later in tubes during the late 1920s-1930s.

Vantine's Geisha Disappearing Cream

Here is a great advertisement for Vantine's Geisha Disappearing Cream, a type of "vanishing cream" used on the skin, from 1910. It was housed inside of an emerald green glass jar, molded with bamboo sticks along the top and bottom.

photo from etsy seller Bottlessoldcheap

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The Sunset Perfume Company/Le Roy Perfumes

I can't find any information on this company other than it was located at 218 Copp Building in Los Angeles, CA. Founded by E.M. Smith and G.M. Leriy who incorporated the Sunset Perfume Company in Los Angeles in 1910 with $249,000 worth of capital. Their factory was to be built during the summer of 1910. They sold their perfumes under the name Le Roy's Non-Alcoholic perfumes.

The Cosmopolitan, 1910:

"Le Roy's Non Alcoholic perfumes are the world's best, containing no alcohol they are 100% perfume, one drop will last for weeks. Violette, Rose Leaves, Ideal Boquet (sic), etc. Try "Manzanillo" the latest odor. By mail $2.00 per oz, 1/2 oz $1.00, 1/4 oz 60c. Sample on a blotter free for the asking .The Sunset Perfume Co., 244 S B'way Los Angeles Cal."

By 1914, the Sunset Perfume Co of Los Angeles, Cal.  filed a certificate with the proper authorities diminishing its capital stock from $200,000 to $10,000. In 1914, they were incorporated into the Oriental Incense and Sunset Perfume Company, located at 1529 Girard Street Los Angeles, CA.

The American Perfumer and Essential Oil Review - Volume 9, 1914:

"Oriental Incense & Perfume Co of Los Angeles Cal., recently purchased the business stock and formulas of the Sunset Perfume Co. The Sunset business will be operated as a separate and distinct concern but the new owners will put into it some of their ideas and methods which have been of a successful nature."

They were still in business around 1924.

 Like Reiger's and Dralle, they seem to have specialized in non-alcoholic and ordinary perfume extracts.

Their perfumes are:

• Ylang Ylang
• Heliotrope
• Jockey Club
• Lilac
• Foin Coupe
• Carnation Pink
• Musk
• Violette
• LaFrance Rose
• Orange Blossom
• Jasamine
• Rose Leaves
• Angel Lily
• Acacia
• Ideal Bouquet
• Manzanillo

They also sold powdered sandalwood and rose petals. Their perfumes sold for anywhere from $2.00 an ounce to $24.00 an ounce, a princely sum at the time.

Fake Victorian and Antique Chatelaine Perfumes

Here is a warning for those who buy on ebay, a seller (sunil_arts_engg_works) located in India is making fake chatelaine scent bottles. They are taking newer bottles and adding new brass hardware and calling them antique or Victorian. Most of the bottles are 1930s and newer. Many are Art Deco in style which look stupid with fake Victorian hardware. Please be aware that these are not genuine antique Victorian era perfume bottles. See some examples below. Many of their perfume bottles exhibit the same exact hardware.

They do have some authentic antique Victorian perfume bottles and scent bottles for sale amongst their "fantasy" pieces.

Bottle from Britney Spears' Curious perfume c2005

Prince Matchabelli perfume bottle c1950s

Choisi by D'ruvyl

On April 3, 2012, I came across a 1925 ad for the Choisi line of toiletries by a scarce company named D'ruvyl. I had never heard of this company before and was only able to obtain info about it from the advertisement. It seems they had offices in New York and Cleveland. Their French sounding name lent an air of sophistication to their humble American roots.

The Choisi line included parfums, face powders and face creams. the line probably didn't last very long as I cannot find any other reference to it.

Rue de Cambon by Antoine de Paris

On April 4, 2012, I came across a rare perfume listed on ebay France. It was Rue de Cambon by Antoine de Paris, launched in 1937. The seller erroneously thought that this was a Chanel perfume which is understandable because Chanel did come out with a similar sounding perfume, 31 Rue Cambon. But, the perfume label clearly says Antoine, not Chanel.

Cristal Nancy

Sometimes, collectors will come across perfume or cologne bottles acid etched with Cristal Nancy.

Cristal Nancy is not Daum Nancy. Cristal Nancy is the name for Cristalleries de Nancy, established in 1921 on the initiative of Jules Bayet, and located directly across from the famed Daum Nancy glass manufacturer on land donated by the Fruhinsholtz Company. Cristalleries de Nancy poached several of Daum's glass blowers and with their help, produced high end, expensive cut crystal products, mainly perfume bottles, which were their specialty. Auguste Houillon, a talented sculptor created many products for the company.

John Frederics Perfumes

John Frederics Perfumes was established in 1929 by John P. John and Frederic Hirst in Beverly Hills, CA; later in Palm Beach, Florida; formed subsidiary named 'Golden Arrow' based on the name of their best selling perfume.