An elegant French Napoléon III period pink opaline glass and gilt-metal perfume stand, circa 1880. The central melon-lobed pink opaline glass casket is decorated with hand-painted white enamel pointillé details and rich gilt scrollwork, fitted with a hinged, bevelled glass lid. The casket is mounted within a delicate gilt-metal wirework frame featuring a decorative foliate swing handle and two side baskets holding a pair of miniature cut-crystal scent bottles with faceted stoppers.

Historical & Style Details

• Style: Palais Royal / Napoléon III
• Period: Late 19th Century (circa 1880)
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: Hand-painted enamel, gilded opaline glass, cut crystal, wirework
• Materials: Opaline glass, gilt brass, crystal
• Decorative Details: White enamel dot patterns, vertical gilt bands, foliate scroll handle
• Condition: Excellent antique condition; light wear to the gilding consistent with age, glass and crystal bottles intact without visible chips or cracks.

History

This type of luxury vanity set, often referred to as a "cave de parfum" or "nécessaire," was highly popular during the French Second Empire and late Victorian eras. Typically sold in the fashionable boutiques of the Palais Royal in Paris, these sets combined the technical mastery of French glasshouses with exquisite ormolu metalwork to create highly decorative objects for the aristocratic dressing table.