Rectangular serpentine-form perfume casket built as a wooden carcass, veneered in faux tortoiseshell laminate. The veneer is a dyed red cellulose nitrate overlaid with a translucent brown layer to create faux tortoiseshell effect. This material shows typical age behaviour, including surface bubbling, laminate lifting, and brittleness.
The exterior is decorated in boulle style with brass inlay scrolls in Louis XV style. The casket stands on an integrated plinth base following the serpentine outline.
The hinged lid is secured by an engraved brass hinge and closes to a functional lock; key present and operational - it is certainly not a safe-like mechanism but the ancient key still turns, locks and unlocks!
Interior is a fitted twin-compartment tray, lined in padded peachy pink silk. The lining is a historic hand-sewn replacement, dating to approximately 1930s–1940s, stitched over the original divider structure and conforming to the original bottle spacing and form. It shows signs of vintage age but it is still very pretty and displays well.
Bottles:
Original matched pair of mould-blown, hand-cut crystal scent bottles attributed to Baccarat:
Square section bodies with canted corners;
Hand-ground collars and internal necks;
Ground faceted mushroom-form stoppers;
One example retaining gilt enamel scroll decoration to collar and stopper top; and
One clear cut lead crystal example without decoration;
Unsigned, consistent with pre-1900 production.
Dimensions approximately:
Casket
Width: 9.5 cm
Depth: 7 cm
Height: 7 cm
Bottles (each)
Height: 6 cm
Base: 2.8 × 3 cm
Condition Report:
Laminate lifting and splitting, partying at the back, also on one side, some losses on brass inlay.
Surface bubbling and finish degradation to faux tortoiseshell veneer, particularly at the top back panel.
Minor edge losses to veneer.
Interior silk historical relining (period hand-sewn work 1930-1950s)
Gilt wear to decorated bottle, minor chipping to the edge and stopper to the same.
Light age wear to metal mounts.
Hinge secure.
Lock functional; key present.
Stoppers original.
Structurally stable and display ready.
Dating & Attribution
Palais Royal trade work produced for the Paris luxury arcade market, late 19th century. Crystal bottles attributed to Baccarat based on material weight, cutting geometry, stopper grinding, and gilded variant pairing typical of the firm’s dressing-table production.
Please note:
Buyers are responsible for any customs fees, import duties, or taxes charged by their country.
