Amethyst-colored flacon de poche decorated with imperial eagle and floral bouquet

Art Historical Context

This exquisite amethyst-colored *flacon de poche*, or pocket flask, from the Glasshouse of Bernard Perrot the Verrerie Royale dléans, exemplifies 18th-century French luxury glassmaking. Standing just 3 3/4 inches tall, this delicate glass vessel, mounted with pewter, features intricate decorations of an imperial eagle and floral bouquet—symbols of power and elegance that adorned personal accessories for the elite. Crafted in Orléans, a hub of royal glass production established under Louis XIV to rival Italian mastery, the flask highlights the era's fusion of functionality and opulence. The Verrerie Royale, directed by innovative glassmaker Bernard Perrot, specialized in colored and ornamental glass, pushing technical boundaries with vibrant hues like this striking amethyst. The imperial eagle, evoking emblems of authority and insignia, paired with the bouquet's natural motifs, reflects the Rococo taste for symbolic refinement amid France's Ancien Régime. As a portable scent bottle, it served not just practical purposes—holding perfumes or smelling salts—but also as a fashionable statement of status. Today, this gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from Henry G. Marquand in 1883 invites us to appreciate the artistry of everyday luxury, bridging the opulent courts of Versailles with modern admiration for French decorative arts.