CLEOPATRA'S BOUDOIR

Sometimes you may come across a vintage perfume company advertising counter display, these differ from the factice bottles. These were used to promote the brand and to help you locate where in the department store the products would be sold. These displays were made up of various materials ranging from bakelite, plaster of paris, compostion, lucite, celluloid, wood, metal and glass.

The finest examples were made by Lalique and can be very hard to find. Lalique made display signs for D'Orsay, Roger et Gallet, Coty and others out of their famous crystal.

Some of Coty's displays were made up of composition like this example, sold by Rago Arts & Auction Center in 2004.

A very different Coty display was in the shape of a Ferris wheel.  The display is made of a soft pink painted wood and metal. There are 5 bars on the ferris wheel on which a small plastic basket/holder hangs. The perfume bottle sits inside the plastic holder. The display can hold up to five bottles. The bottles stand about 2 inches high and taper out to about 1-1/4" wide. They each have an etched glass stopper and have their Coty label on the back. The ferris wheel itself stands about 8 inches tall and is marked COTY on one side. This piece probably dates to the 1940s.  Photo from worthopedia

This beautiful display rack was made for Rigaud perfumes, it appears to be from the 1900s -1920s.  The top is marked with LES PARFUMS RIGAUD DE PARIS and is made of wood,bronzed tin metal and glass. It even retains its original weavy glass mirror. Measures:

16" wide x 13 1/2" tall x 3 3/4" deep. This perfume showcase was sold on ebay in 2007. Photo from worthopedia

white metal, late 19th century. Open work in gothic style, top with mirrored back and pierced `No. V S Burch & Co./Perfumers/Rochester, N.Y.` Stand for display of bottled perfumes is half circle with pierced fence front and 8 feet. Tray with oval stamped brass tag on top `Patent/Applied For.` Rear w/worn printed-paper label for Burch & Co. with list of products sold. Traces of black and gold paint, 11` w. x 5` deep x 10.5` h. Photo from worthopedia