Object Description
Antique French Basket-Shaped Perfume Bottle and Holder
French, Late 19th Century
Height 9cm, width 12.5cm, depth 11cm
This unusual 19th-century perfume bottle and holder is a striking example of Victorian design, combining opaline glass with finely worked gilt metal. Crafted in the whimsical form of an egg resting in a tall basket, it reflects the era’s fascination with both beauty and function.
The gilt metal basket is intricately designed to resemble woven wicker, lavishly adorned with sculpted grape clusters and trailing vines. Nestled at its centre sits a smooth, pale pink opaline glass half-egg, hinged to open and reveal a matching internal perfume bottle. Its underside is inlaid with a mirror. Both the outer case and the inner bottle are crafted from the same delicate glass, complemented by gilt mounts.
Elegant and practical, this decorative vanity piece would once have graced a lady’s dressing table, symbolising refinement and taste. Today, it remains a highly collectible object for lovers of antique perfume bottles and 19th-century decorative arts.