Perfume Or Ointment Container, Napoleon III Era.

An elegant rectangular box crafted from precious woods, representative of the excellence of French cabinetmaking during the Second Empire, a period marked by a taste for refined materials, decorative contrasts, and stylistic eclecticism. The box is veneered in tobacco-stained mottled maple, offering a warm and nuanced surface. The panels are framed in lemonwood, highlighted by a cross-line of amaranth, creating a subtle and particularly decorative chromatic contrast. The chamfered edges and rounded corners are veneered in rosewood, lending the whole an architectural elegance and a meticulous finish. The lid is adorned with a central cartouche of cut brass, applied to a background of black-stained wood veneer and satinwood, embellished with small mother-of-pearl inlays. The design of the motif, structured according to a symmetrical composition inherited from the 18th century, displays on its sides reminiscent of the Neo-Gothic style, evoking the Flamboyant Gothic with its openwork cutouts, broken curves, and dynamic scrolls. This decoration perfectly illustrates the decorative eclecticism characteristic of the Napoleon III era, blending Rococo references and medieval inspirations. The interior is entirely lined with antique purple velvet and fitted to hold two glass bottles with rounded bodies and short necks, adorned with acid-etched decoration and fitted with their stoppers. The box retains its original working lock and key. The set is in good condition. The box has been revarnished, ensuring an attractive overall presentation. The veneer shows some wear and age-related marks, visible in places, without affecting the structure or the legibility of the decoration. This type of vanity case was designed to hold perfumes, toilet waters, or ointments, and was a refined toiletry item, prized in the bourgeois homes of the Second Empire. Dimensions: – Width: 24 cm – Depth: 12 cm – Height: 15 cm