Perfume bottle (one of six) (part of a set)
1728–30
Medium
Rock crystal, gold
Dimensions
Height: 4 13/16 in. (12.2 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold and Platinum
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1976
Accession Number
1976.155.51a, b
Art Historical Context
This exquisite perfume bottle, crafted by Parisian goldsmith Louis Mailly 1728–30, exemplifies the opulence of early 18-century French decorative arts. of a luxurious set of six, it just 4 13/16 inches (12.2 cm) tall, making it a delicate treasure designed for intimate use among the aristocracy. Mailly, a master of the goldsmith's trade, combined rock crystal—a clear, lustrous quartz revered for its purity and translucency—with intricate gold mounts, creating a vessel that marries technical precision with elegant restraint. Rock crystal's significance in this period lay in its ability to mimi...