CLEOPATRA'S BOUDOIR

Most French 17th and early 18th century perfume was sold in white glazed earthenware pots. The discovery of the Chinese porcelain-making secrets early in the 18th century made an important new material available for scent bottles, notably those produced at Meissen, Sevres and Chelsea.

But even porcelain imitations can have a certain status. Victorian reproductions of 18th-century scent bottles and figures that were rendered by the great French porcelain firm Edmé Samson and Cie—which was famous for its ability to copy pieces with an exactitude that still fools experts in the field—are now sold at auction. A pair of Samson and Cie figures can range from $300 to $500.

These bottles were usually created with human and animal motifs and were highly detailed. In the 18th century many perfumers in New England began to experiment with different sizes, shapes and colors. These antique perfume bottles were also shaped like fruits, animals, birds or flowers.