Limited edition of Serge Lutens L'orpheline

One of the loveliest designs on perfume bottles sneaked itself into my inbox. The Christmas edition of one of my most worn in 2014 fragrances, L'Orpheline by Serge Lutens, has a spectacular engraved bottle Édition gravée “Croix de cimetière” (i.e. cemetery cross). I admit that although I'm not exceedingly particular about bottles (compared to the contents, I mean, otherwise design interests me immensely), this one caught my breath.

" Elle se met en quatre pour vous faire plaisir. L’orpheline, c’est du fer en dentelle. "
- Serge Lutens

She is so eager to please you. The orphan girl, iron dressed in lace.

Feast your eyes on it, because this super rare edition of L'Orpheline comes in only 9 numbered and dated bottles, monogrammed SL,  fetching really high prices.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine:
Fanciful Perfume Bottles
Serge Lutens News & Perfume Reviews

The Great She Wolf

Feast your eyes upon one of the (less than) 30 limited edition engraved bottles of Serge Lutens's Louve perfume bottle. The familiar aesthetic will warm the cockles of every sincere collector's heart. The Iron Cross will create discussion…

"The she-wolf returns to her den, leaving nothing but her footprints in the snow.
Shining like a seven-pointed cardinal star.
Engraved with the cardinal coat of arms in enamel."

Numbered from 1 to 30, dated and monogrammed edition.
An exclusive bottle, hand engraved.
A few bottles (3 at the time of writing) are available through the online boutique for 800 € each.

Optical Scentsibilities: The Imaginative Vintage Perfume Presentation

The enrobing of a perfume in a glass mantle is analogous to the draping of fabric around a beautifully formed body. The outer presentation should complement the interior magnificence. It was just a few years ago that only the lower end of the fragrance market had flamboyant and over-gilded bottles to balance the cheap impression left by the low price asked and the less luxurious smelling experience. The chic stuff circulated in architectural bottles with relatively sparse lines, like with Chanel. But then niche perfumery boomed aiming at a more discerning customer.

Captivating not only the aficionado, who dreams in perfume and can have their beloved elixir dispensed even in a milk carton for all it's worth, but also the loaded purchaser, who views perfume as a precious fashion accessory that completes their luxurious lifestyle or as a gift to be given with the desire to please the eye as much as the nose. Ergo fancier bottle styles have become desirable and coveted again, ranging from the extravagant, like the crystal creations by Agonist or the Swarovski crystal containing Hedonist by Viktoria Minya, to the artistically hand-made such as the Martine Micallef bottles or the glamor of the 1001 Nights of Amouage. But back in time, the imagination of the fragrance bottle designers run into patterns which remind us more of Limoges and Lladro porcelain figures (or in the case of drugstore items of Barbie playthings) than of perfume bottles.
Everyone recalls the model dummy for Schiaparelli's Shocking, reprised by Jean Paul Gaultier in the 1990s. But I have unearthed a few more vintage examples on Ebay to share with you on a rainy day. Here they are.

                   

                 Vintage Novelty Windmill for "Devon Violets" Perfume by Delavelle

                         

                        Vintage Novelty Harp "Heavenscent" Perfume by Nikki de Paris.

             "The Perfume for Heavenly Times" as tagged on the box, depicting a taking aim cupid.

               Vintage Spray Perfume "Malibu Musk" Bottle Palm Tree 1980s

Do you know of any fanciful shaped vintage perfume bottles you'd like to add? Feel free to share in the comments.