An unwitting investment in my early wheeling-dealing days was the purchase of a glass scent bottle which had a vague Art Deco look about it.
It was signed by Lalique and, of course, I had come across that great designer name, even in those times.
I paid £65 for it and eventually sent it to Sotheby’s in London, who stuck it in a sale with a £60-£80 estimate. It was knocked down for £750. Happy days.
Edinburgh saleroom Lyon & Turnbull last month dispersed a fabulous private collection of René Lalique scent bottles.
A perfumer neighbour
One of Lalique’s neighbours was Francois Coty, the perfumer, and he invited Lalique to design bottles for him.
This was revolutionary as, before this, perfumes were acquired in phials from the pharmacy to then be decanted into dressing-table bottles at home.
Lalique, however, created bespoke perfume bottles and in so doing established a precedent for future commercial presentation and packaging, not only for himself and Coty, but also for several big-name fashion houses.
Fetching hefty prices
The diversity of forms, colours and techniques he created is testament to artistic genius and an understanding of his chosen material – glass.
Three bottles at Lyon & Turnbull each took £27,500, inclusive of premium, but I show one which sold for just under £25,000.
Signed and titled Petalia Tokalon on the moulded base, this bottle was designed by Lalique in 1923, at the peak of his creativity.
Just under four inches high, it is made from clear, frosted and grey-stained moulded glass.
Led by senior specialist Joy McCall, Lyon & Turnbull introduced Lalique as a biannual sale category in April 2021. A good decision, going by these stunning results.
