“palais-royal” Chrysoprase Opaline Scent Bottle With Gilt Bronze Mount, Napoleon III Period

A square-section perfume bottle known as the ‘Palais-Royal’ model, made of opaque chrysoprase-green opaline, set within a rich chiselled and gilded bronze mount. The upper part of the body is covered by a delicate openwork cage of bronze lace, decorated with volutes, foliage scrolls and palmettes in the neoclassical style. The ringed neck is fitted with a hinged stopper, richly gadrooned and chiselled. The piece rests on a substantial, openwork, movable four-legged base decorated with shells and rocaille scrolls, ending in ball feet.
France. Charles X period (19th century, c. 1830).
H_13.5 cm W_8 cm
Very good condition.

The so-called ‘Palais-Royal’ objects take their name from the luxurious boutiques situated beneath the arcades of the Palais-Royal in Paris, a mecca for high-end retail in the early 19th century. Whilst this style of bronze-caged bottle first emerged during the Restoration, its popularity endured and flourished fully during the Second Empire. Chrysoprase-green opaline, whose luminous hue—reminiscent of semi-precious stones—is achieved through the use of uranium oxides, remained highly prized by the bourgeoisie of the Napoleon III era. Enhanced by the contrast of a chiselled bronze setting—a veritable miniature piece of goldsmith’s art—this type of precious bottle was a central feature of elaborate travel kits or adorned the most refined dressing tables.

Our piece follows in the tradition of 19th-century Parisian high-end perfume bottles and boudoir items, offering a magnificent example of the enduring taste for rare opaline glass with Second Empire-style settings.