Antique French Opaline Uranium Perfume Bottle,napoleon III Period

A small, pear-shaped perfume bottle known as the ‘Palais-Royal’ model, made of opaque chrysoprase-green opaline. It is set within a delicate chiselled bronze mount, formerly gilded, comprising a scalloped collar with openwork ovoid motifs encircling the upper bulb, and a cage of stylised foliage scrolls hugging the domed base. The neck is fitted with a miniature hinged stopper adorned with a fluted collar in the shape of a corolla.
France. Napoleonic III period (19th century, circa 1850–1860).
H_6.5 cm

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.