Elegant antique French Napoleon III era Palais Royal style gilt bronze or ormolu & white alabaster perfume stand, caddy, foliate with pink bead "jeweled" flowers and wheel cut crystal or glass perfume bottle! A gorgeous piece and one of two similar works that we're adding this week. A hands down representation of the opulent presentation evident in the Napoleon III era. Yes, a perfume bottle so why not make it a scrumptious visual display? Leave it to the French to turn a relatively simple aspect of every day life into a work of art. Most of these hail from the shops of the Paris Palais Royal, most not marked as such but you get to know them by their style and execution. Likely from the trinket boutiques of the mic-1800s Palais Royal, this Victorian era (c.1837-1870 on this one) survives to thrill us today as it once did the Grand Tour travelers, dignitaries and military officers and their ladies who strolled the upper-crust promenade of the gardens of the old Richelieu Palace. The boutiques remain today, as does the Palais Royal, much as they looked then, though a recent upgrading and expansion of larger anchor stores has taken some of its inherent charm away. The elegant wares sold there included the most stunning work of silversmiths, goldsmiths and jewelers, of glassmakers and ceramicists. One could buy the finest of fabrics, clothing, and also trinkets and thrilling small decorative objects. Browse while you're with us, you won't regret it :).
Very good condition. There is a relatively large chip to the flared rim of the perfume bottle and a few smaller nips possible to the base or rim. The perfume bottle may not be original but fits and displays perfectly. A small nip or two possible to the alabaster base. See pictures for all measurements.
