CLEOPATRA'S BOUDOIR

Fontanis of Paris & Neuilly France, established in 1919 by Daniel Jacquet 38 boulevard de le Saussaye, Neuilly-sur-Seine, also the founder of Madhva in 1923. The company manufactured perfumes and cosmetics. The shortlived business was sold to Volnay in 1927. The last two perfumes, Prelude and Blue Îles were in association with Volnay. 

The perfume of Un Soir de Mai was affiliated to Lillian Savre, a perfumer from Alexandria, Egypt, active around 1920-1930.

Fontanis launched the line of Les Fleurs Romantiques in 1922. 

In 1924, Fleurs de Bagdad was personally selected by Douglas Fairbanks for his famous production, Thief of Bagdad, as reported by the Pittsburgh Press in 1924.

Fontanis produced luxurious presentations and won a gold medal at the 1925 Paris Exposition. The Fontanis vignette was designed by Heymann and reproduced on labels and metal plaques. Another plaque was created by Roger Foy in 1919.

Several of the perfume bottles used by Fontanis were manufactured by Baccarat, others were by Depinox and Cristalleries de Nancy. The bottle for Faune was manufactured by Lalique. A famous poster for Fontanis perfumes was illustrated by Mauric Berty.

The fragrance Sous la Charmille was the re-branded fragrance 'Qui M'Aime' by Chamy. Presented in a flacon by Cristalleries de Baccarat, design # 257. The fragrance for  Chypre by Volnay was the re-branded fragrance 'Violette' by Fontanis, the Volnay  perfume was presented in a flacon by René Lalique et Cie.

The perfumes of Fontanis:

• 1919 Sous la Charmille
• 1920 Vivette
• 1920 Lilas
• 1921 Quel Délice
• 1921 Violette
• 1921 Eau de Toilette au Jasmin Fontanis
• 1921 Fleurs de Bagdad
• 1922 Daisette
• 1922 Ambré
• 1922 Chypre
• 1922 Cyclamen
• 1922 Les Fleurs Romantiques
• 1923 C'est Paris
• 1923 Muguet
• 1923 Rose
• 1923 Parfum de Madame
• 1923 Gardenia
• 1923 Orchidee
• 1923 Pois de Senteur
• 1923 Rose Fontanis
• 1923 Rahna
• 1923 Tamya
• 1923 Un Soir de Mai
• 1924 Tawao
• 1924 Le Parisienne
• 1924 Ananya
• 1924 Damoya
• 1925 Ambrodor
• 1925 Chyprodor
• 1925 Coraya
• 1925 Daisette
• 1925 Gloriosa
• 1925 Faune
• 1925 Iris
• 1925 Jadya
• 1925 Jasmin
• 1925 La Violette
• 1925 Le Mimosa
• 1925 Lilac
• 1925 Livette
• 1925 Œillet
• 1925 Voici l'Hiver
• 1926 Sourire de France
• 1928 Prelude
• 1946 Blue Îles

Madhva, subtitled "Parfums des Divinites de l'Inde", was established in 1923 by Daniel Jacquet,also the founder of Fontanis in 1919.  Madhva Perfumes had retained the Polish artist and illustrator Alexandre Rzewuski to create coordinated identities for all of their perfumes. It was Rzewuski who selected the perfume's exotic names and collaborated with designer Julien Viard in all five of Madhva's perfumes. The bottle for Damaya was created by Julien Viard and made by Baccarat. All of the perfume bottles for Madhva were produced by Baccarat.

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The perfumes of Madhva:

• 1923 Damoya or Damaya (Sub-titled 'Poetry of Love')
• 1923 Ta Wao (Sub-titled 'High Priest of Llassa')
• 1923 Tamya (Sub-titled 'Bayaderes of Burma')
• 1924 Ananya (Sub-titled 'Goddess of Love')
• 1925 Rahna (Sub-titled "Sacred odor of the Benares'")

                                       TA-WAO by MADHVA c1923

Photos used in this guide courtesy of Salon Divinessence, Mastro Perfume Auctions..

Although all of the perfumes mentioned in this guide are discontinued, I have found that the perfume house of Fontanis has been ressurrected, www.fontanis.com