Art Nouveau Perfumer. Paris, France 1900.
Moulded glass, acid-etched. Silver.
Provenance: Spanish private collection, formed between 1970 and 1995.
Measurements: 14,5 cm (height); 3,5 cm (largest diameter).
Curious and rare Art Nouveau period perfume box, souvenir of the Paris International Exhibition of 1900, in moulded and acid-etched glass with the "Porte Monumentale" and coat of arms on the back. Foot and stopper in silver. Engraved initials
The Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900 took place from 15 April to 12 November 1900 in Paris. It covered an area of 120 hectares and was visited by more than 50 million people from 58 countries. The Orsay Station (now the Musée d'Orsay), the Petit Palais, the Grand Palais and the Pont Alexandre III were built to celebrate the Universal Exhibition. The 1900 Exposition was the largest to date, for which the Parisian government began preparations in the city as early as 1892, culminating in a logistically larger event than had been planned in the first place. The call for the design of the main attractions was transformed into a collaboration between designers and architects, who together managed to realise the most visited constructions of the Fair. The Porte Monumentale: also known as the Salamandre, it was located at the eastern entrance to the Fair, in the Place de La Concorde; the gate was crowned by the statue La Parisienne, designed by the sculptor Moreau-Vauthier.