Vintage French Gellé Frères “Fleur de Son” Soap Box – Paris – c.1920s

Antique French Gellé Frères “Fleur de Son” Soap Box – Paris – c.1920s

A wonderfully decorative antique French soap box produced for Gellé Frères of Paris, the historic French perfume and toiletries house founded in 1826.

The lid is beautifully printed with the wording “Savon Fin – Fleur de Son – Gellé Frères – Paris France – No. 1529”, surrounded by striking stylised red flowers, sweeping olive-green foliage and black and gold detailing. The design has a lovely late Art Nouveau influence and is a particularly attractive example of early 20th-century French cosmetic packaging.

Originally made as a presentation box for Gellé Frères toilet soap, comparable surviving examples suggest this would most likely have held three individual bars. Today the empty box makes a charming piece of French advertising ephemera and would display beautifully alongside antique perfume bottles, vanity items, apothecary pieces or other vintage packaging.

Gellé Frères was one of Paris's established perfumery houses, producing perfumes, soaps and cosmetics throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Pieces of their original packaging are now increasingly collected for both their decorative appeal and their connection with the history of French perfumery.

Date: Circa 1920s

Maker: Gellé Frères, Paris, France

Product: Savon Fin “Fleur de Son” – No. 1529

Material: Card/pasteboard with printed paper label

Dimensions:

17.5cm long × 8.5cm wide × 2.5cm high

Condition:

Good antique condition with expected signs of age and use. There is some foxing, staining and discolouration, particularly to the interior and underside, together with rubbing and wear around the edges and corners. The decorative lid label remains remarkably attractive with strong colour and detail. Please study the photographs as they form an important part of the description.

A lovely surviving piece of 1920s French beauty and advertising history, and one of those small decorative objects that looks fabulous simply displayed as it is.