Chanel | Legacy, Luxury & Love

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‘The persuasive power of an odour cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.’

- Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

Gifting a scent to someone may be perceived as one of the most intimate declarations of affection there is. Even the fact a scent is to be worn on the skin and smelt only from a close range symbolises its personal message. However, the vessels in which scents and perfumes are kept in can be just as intimate and special. The bottle which will be offered in our January Design sale has a romantic backstory to it and a life filled with memories. It comes from a private vendor, originally purchased by their grandfather for his wife whilst he was serving in the RAF. He was born in 1920 and his wife in 1921, the same year the first Chanel bottle was unveiled to the public. The couple married in 1942 and she wore the perfume on her wedding day.

^{A Chanel 'No 5' glass perfume bottle (£3,000-5,000)}

The first Chanel perfume bottle was designed in 1921 in a collaborative effort between Gabrielle Chanel and renowned French artist Sem. The original design was very minimal and a reaction against the overly lavish perfume bottles of the time which was the dominant fashion of the day. There has been a great deal of speculation that the bottle was inspired by the simple rectangular lines of toiletry bottles used by the men Chanel was acquainted with in her life. She wished for the bottles to be reproduced in a more expensive and delicate glass.

The original No.5 fragrance was not intended for a widespread release; Chanel was not particularly interested in mass production. According to some, the first bottles produced were gifted to special clients, later made available to purchase exclusively through Chanel boutiques from 1930. The bottle was crafted from very thin glass, in a narrow, square form with rounded shoulders. The stopper was flat and square with rounded corners, moulded with the iconic interlocking ‘C’ logo in the centre. Additionally, it came with a metal chrome or gold washed container. 

^{A Chanel 'No 5' glass perfume bottle (£3,000-5,000)}

An example of the original stopper was pictured as having been found among a group of others produced in the Cristalleries de Nancy factory in ‘Nancy: La Cristallerie Oubliée’ by Gerard Caussaint (published in 2020). Unfortunately, no documentation survives to prove this, however, this discovery has led to the theory that they possibly produced the stopper.

Observations have been made between the original No.5 bottle to some of Rene Lalique’s simpler models. Lalique produced a bottle for Parfums Isabey, entitled the ‘A Travers la Voilette’ or in English ‘Through the veil’ due to its almost honeycomb-like patterned surface which resembles lace. This bottle mirrors the silhouette of the Chanel No.5 bottle designed in 1924 and possesses the diagonal mould mark on the shoulder.

^{A Chanel 'No 5' glass perfume bottle (£3,000-5,000)}

With the advent of ‘Les Parfums Chanel’ in collaboration with the Werthheimer Brothers in 1924, the original bottle was too delicate to undergo mass production. An updated design was created, crafted from a thicker glass that had square faceted corners and a flat, solid ‘gem-cut’ faceted stopper. These other variations were manufactured by Christalleries St. Louis from 1923-1925 and Verreriers Brosse who still make Chanel perfume bottles to this day. By 1959, the model designed in 1924 was made part of the permanent collection of modern design in the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Since then, Chanel No.5 has become one of the most iconic and beloved perfumes of all time. The designs of its bottles are still recognised and cherished to this day and are just as intoxicating, luxurious and full of romanticism as they were in 1921.

 ^{A Chanel 'No 5' glass perfume bottle (£3,000-5,000)}

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Tuesday 28 January 2025 | 10am

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