Janisset Alexis Falize-designed Perfume Bottle, ca. 1840
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GUEST:
This is a perfume bottle...
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
...that my father had given us. It's...
APPRAISER:
And what do you know about it?
GUEST:
I really don't know much, except that it's been in the family for three generations. And it's one of those items that you don't b, display publicly in your house every day, and yet you treasure. It's around...
APPRAISER:
Have you used it?
GUEST:
No, no, no, never. I don't want to open it, because I believe it's old, and I don't want the fragrance to escape.
APPRAISER:
Well, that is so fascinating.
GUEST:
(laughs)
APPRAISER:
Because you're right. When you open it up, the fragrance evaporates.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
So you locked it in place.
GUEST:
I did.
APPRAISER:
So we don't, we don't know what the smell is.
GUEST:
N, n, no, not yet. (both chuckle)
APPRAISER:
But let me tell you about it. It's gold.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
And it's French, and it was made by this house Janisset who was a very famous jeweler in Paris, worked in the 1800s to 1848. In 1835, he hired a very well-known maker, Falize, who later became very well-known and very important on his own. And he worked there at this time. Now, in 1848, the revolution came and Janisset had to close the shop.
GUEST:
Huh.
APPRAISER:
So we know this is prior to 1848.
GUEST:
Oh, that's good.
APPRAISER:
So that's interesting.
GUEST:
That's, that's nice, it...
APPRAISER:
And now let's stand it up, because it doesn't stand unless it's in the box.
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
And these jewels, do you know what they are?
GUEST:
I would believe-- I f, always felt they were turquoise.
APPRAISER:
Well, you're right, but what about the top?
GUEST:
I always thought it was the same.
APPRAISER:
It's not.
GUEST:
It's not, oh.
APPRAISER:
It's French blue enamel. Now, when you open it up, there's the stopper, and we found the French gold mark.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Which is the eagle's head.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Now, because you've locked it, we can't find the actual maker, because I'm sure...
GUEST:
It's inside.
APPRAISER:
It's probably inside. So now we won't know for sure if Falize was the maker of this bottle, but I have my suspicions that it is. And the material, it's either just glass or rock crystal. Very hard to tell. We'd have to do some extensive studying on it. The gold is 18-karat, because French jewelry is always 18-karat.
GUEST:
18-karat.
APPRAISER:
In the retail world, if you were to go into a fine shop-- and that's where it would be...
GUEST:
Right, mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...would be around $15,000.
GUEST:
Oh-- oh, wow.
APPRAISER:
Which is a considerable amount for an object that is really just for your tabletop.
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