Posted 9 years ago
antiquefrek
(4 items)
I purchased this antique bottle in Paris at a flea...it is art nouveau style and measures 5 1/2 inches long and 3 inches wide. It has a cork inside the bottle neck and a glass stopper. The initials AF on the bottom on both sides. Abalone insets and turquoise colored beads. Metal could be silver but it is not marked. I have not cleaned it...The same design on both sides of the bottle. Any clues out there as it who AF could be....It made me think of Alphonse Mucha.... when I saw the bottle...the reason I believe it to be Art Nouveau. Thanks for any feedback!
This is truly lovely bottle, and I am extremely jealous!
Gillian
5 years later and I stumbled on a few clues! I found an auction from 2010 with an art nouveau perfume with extremely similar design in metal just a different style bottle. The best clue was that the same initials (AF) were on the auction perfume bottle I found. I emailed and got the reply that it appeared to be a monogram. I do not believe that is true because the design is on both sides of my bottle as well as the initials and the similar perfume also has the same initials. Then an antique appraiser I found thought mine might be a woman's flask. She also wondered if it was the perfume maker but if mine really is a flask that does not ring true either. This is the description from the auction at the link below. It states London but appears to have a French connection also on the string tag.
20th Century Design - 2489
Location:
Boston
Date / Time :
March 27, 2010 10:00AM
Description:
Art Nouveau Perfume Bottle
Glass, silver gilt, and mother-of-pearl
London, 1879-1917
Molded glass stopper on colorless glass bottle with cherries and leaves in silver with geometric mother-of-pearl inlay accents in the surround, marked AF in the metal on base, ht. 3 3/4 in.
Note: Accompanied by a string tag in French, the translation does not connect with the item, unless it was purchased by a military man to bring home to his sweetheart.
Estimate $200-300 https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2489/lots/283
There is a photo of the perfume bottle in the auction at the link above. If anyone has an idea how to find someone with more knowledge on something like this I would love an opinion!
I love people who ask an opinion then find fault. Everyone else is wrong. I guess some people are just always right at any cost.
I am sure I worded that poorly. I contacted another perfume person 5 years ago and they said the bottle appeared to be from the 1950's. Maybe that skewed my response but I really do not believe the person I contacted could have read the description from their own auction and come up with that deduction. My apologies for any offense. And no...I am NOT that type of person believe it or not and I have always tried to not second guess someone and assume anything without asking more questions. It is not kind to assume things of anyone.