SARASOTA, Fla. — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church of Palm Coast, Florida is in need of major roofing repairs, so a local resident stepped up and donated a lifetime collection of top-quality perfume bottles as a fundraiser. Helmuth Stone Gallery will bring all 454 lots to auction on Tuesday, November 28 on behalf of the church. The catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.
Many collectors agree that long after the perfume is gone, the artistry of the bottle remains. Perfume manufacturers knew this from the earliest days, and competed to create memorable and enduring packages that would be treasured as keepsakes.
The private individual maintained an eye for quality and rarity when assembling this collection. One of the sale’s highest estimated lots, a Guerlain Coque d’Or box and bottle, is a one-two punch of premier design. The wooden package was created by famed French minimalist Jean-Michel Frank and the bottle is by Baccarat. Guerlain was a top perfume and cosmetics company in France in 1937 (and remains so today) whose executives went all out for the launch of Coque d’Or, as this lot demonstrates. Though the perfume is long gone, the lot is estimated at $1,500-$3,000.
The sale includes 45 lots designed by René Lalique. Le Baiser du Faune (Kiss of the Fawn) is a Molinard perfume with a commissioned bottle by Lalique. Introduced in 1928, the bottle features the mythical faun figure kissing a lovely lady. Marked R LALIQUE by mold, the lot is estimated at $1,500-$3,000.
Though overshadowed by their French superiors, Czech perfume companies made their mark in the early 20th century with sophisticated bottle designs and alluring fragrances. Heinrich Hoffmann was a prewar Czech perfume manufacturer who created this remarkable black crystal perfume bottle. It includes a green knot-shaped stopper, a dauber, a marcasite and enameled silver metal holder, and green crystal feet. It is estimated at $750-$1,500. Interestingly, Hoffmann’s molds survived the war and have been resurrected by modern perfume manufacturers, and continue to circulate today under the Desna brand.
Esteemed perfume house L. T. Piver of France engaged Baccarat for its 1927 release of Astris. The hexagonal body contains a six-pointed star, is marked BACCARAT on the base and carries an estimate of $800-$1,500.
