Where on Art...? Scent in a Bottle

Few have seen the likes of the beautiful bottle in this image. This is the rare 1919 Guerlain bottle created by Baccarat to a design by Raymond Guerlain for the perfume MITSOUKO (which in Japanese means Mystery). The bottle is made of glass crystal with both stopper and bottle having been issued with matching etched numbers which indicates that a limited number of this designer bottle was produced. The bottle in this picture still contains some of the original perfume and its box is intact, which makes it even more rare. 

This marvellous perfume bottle is just one of the 250+ scent and perfume bottles on display in an exhibition called Scent Bottles – From Ceremony to Seduction, presently at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum,  located in the old city of Mdina on the Mediterranean island of Malta. 

The exhibition includes bottles from the Palazzo's collection as well as from other private and museum collections around the islands. The variety on show ranges from an ancient Egyptian alabaster perfume oil vial excavated in Malta, through to some of the most attractive chatelaine hanging bottles, the first disposable scent bottles, Victorian double-ended bottles......

I was particularly impressed with the beautiful dressing table bottles made out of Murano glass, Cranberry glass, Mary Gregory glass, Bohemian Cut Crystal.... Then were was a perfume bottle designed by Lalique and an exceptional vanity box dating back from the Napolean III period containing perfectly stored bottles and containers made of glass and porcelain.

Scent Bottles – From Ceremony to Seduction will be at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum, Mdina, until December 31, 2011.  Opening - Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 – 16.00 hrs. Admission is free of charge. For more information visit www.palazzofalson.com.

I'm Back

'At the Sculpture Exhibition' - Lucien Metivet 1863-1930

FairyFiligree is officially back after a 3-month 'sabbatical'. I needed the break. The lack of feedback and response from followers had been getting me down but when I disappeared from the scene I repeatedly go the same question - why have you given it up? So many people encouraged me to take up this blog again that I decided to come back and start sharing beautiful stuff with you all once more.

So much has been going on. At the moment I am curating a collective exhibition of 63 artists here on the Mediterranean island where I live. The exhibition is welcoming 63 different works - one work from each artist and includes paintings, sculptures, mixed media artwork, jewellery..... This is the second of a series of exhibitons which I hold on an annual basis - the scope is to encourage new artists to exhibit their work alongside that of seasoned artists. All work is very low to moderately priced and this is an added challenge to artists - to produce art that does not cost a bomb to produce, but which is still exciting for somebody to take back home or to give away as a gift.

What do you think of the poster I am featuring with this post - incidentally my first post for 2011? It shows a front cover of the celebrated Parisian magazine called 'Le Rire', meaning laughter in French. The magazine was a humour magazine, much sought and therefore extremely successful between 1894 and the 1950s. The satire on this magazine was backed by drawings from some of the best artists of the era - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, one of my favourite artists is one of them.