Evoking the golden age of French perfumery, this exquisite Art Deco crystal flacon was meticulously crafted by Cristalleries de Nancy between 1921 and 1928. Utilizing a specialized precision-molding technique rather than standard cutting, the piece achieves a seamless, architectural silhouette characteristic of the period's finest luxury ateliers. The base bears the acid-etched signature “Cristal Nancy,” complemented by original hand-engraved matching serial inscriptions on both the bottle and its custom-fitted stopper, certifying its status as an authentic match.
Date: c. 1921 - 1928
Period: Art Deco
Country of Origin: France (Nancy)
Artist/Maker/Manufacturer: Cristalleries de Nancy
Marks/Signatures: Acid-etched with the circular CRISTAL NANCY "coin" trademark enclosing the initials CN and the Lorraine Cross on the base. Acid-etched, matching marks on the base and stopper.
Size Classification: Small
Dimensions: 3 3/4 inches H x 2 3/4 inches W x 1 1/2 inches D
Weight: 12 oz.
Materials: Clear crystal with acid-etched maker's mark
Technique: Mold-blown and hand-finished
Features: Chamfered shoulders, matching etched marks on stopper and bottle indicating a set, ground-fit stopper
Colors: Clear
Style: Architectural, Art Deco, Quatrefoil stopper similar to a champagne bottle
Condition
Excellent. Has a delicate, lingering trace of its original fragrance upon closer inspection.
This piece was originally acquired in the early 1930s at a Cristal Nancy showroom in Buenos Aires. It was later brought to the United States in 1956 by the original owner’s daughter and has remained in the same family since. It is now available as a rare and timeless addition to any vintage collection or vanity display. Further provenance details are available upon request.
Made during the golden age of Art Deco, this exceptional piece originates from the prestigious Cristalleries de Nancy, a master French glassworks celebrated for its heavy, brilliant lead crystal and avant-garde geometric designs.
Located opposite the Daum Brothers workshops , the Cristalleries de Nancy company was founded on September 29, 1920 by Jules Alexis Bayet. Some of the prestigeous artidts working at the factory included the French painter Michel Colle, the engraver Auguste Houillon, and the glass paste specialist Almaric Walter.
The company achieved the pinnacle of global acclaim by winning the Grand Prix at the landmark 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs - the definitive event of the Art Deco movement. Capitalizing on this international prestige, the firm opened an exclusive showroom in Buenos Aires to cater to Argentina’s wealthy elite during the city’s opulent "Paris of South America" era.
The elegant design reflects influences from 19th-century apothecary bottles, while the unique quatrefoil stopper was modeled after the champagne corks of the same era - a design later famously embraced by the French fragrance house Guerlain.
