Among the most instantly recognisable vintage perfume bottles are the colourful crown-shaped bottles created for Prince Matchabelli. Produced in numerous colours and sizes and used for a succession of fragrances, they combine the history of 20th-century perfumery with the remarkable story of a Georgian prince who rebuilt his life in New York.
Prince Georges V. Matchabelli was a member of a Georgian noble family who became involved in the movement for Georgian independence and later served as First Secretary of the Georgian Embassy in Italy. Following the Soviet takeover of Georgia in 1921, Georges and his Italian-born wife, Princess Norina Matchabelli, eventually settled in the United States.
In New York they opened an antiques and gifts shop called Le Rouge et le Noir at 545 Madison Avenue. The name was taken from Stendhal’s novel Le Rouge et le Noir. The shop became the starting point for what would develop into one of the most distinctive perfume businesses of the period.
Perfume gradually proved more promising than antiques. Georges had developed an interest in fragrance and began creating perfumes for friends and clients. In 1926, Georges and Norina established the Prince Matchabelli Perfume Company in New York.
Initially the operation was remarkably modest, with perfumes produced on a small scale and Georges personally blending fragrances for individual clients. This bespoke approach helped es
The Famous Prince Matchabelli Crown Bottle
It was the packaging, however, that created the enduring visual identity of Prince Matchabelli.
The distinctive crown-shaped bottle was inspired by the Matchabelli family crown and was introduced in 1928. Princess Norina is generally credited with helping to develop the form, while the bottles became an important part of the company’s image almost immediately.
Rather unusually, Prince Matchabelli continued using variations of the same basic crown-shaped bottle for many different perfumes. Instead of giving every fragrance a completely different container, colour was often used to distinguish one perfume from another.
Early fragrances included Princess Norina, named after Georges’ wife, along with Queen of Georgia and Ave Maria. The use of aristocratic and royal-sounding names was no accident and helped reinforce the exotic image of the brand.
Different fragrances appeared in different combinations of coloured glass, enamel and gilding. Examples include red and gold bottles, green and gold bottles, clear and gold versions and other variations introduced over several decades.
The effect was particularly striking when several bottles were displayed together, and this visual appeal remains one of the main reasons Prince Matchabelli bottles are collected today.
Collecting Prince Matchabelli Perfume Bottles
For perfume bottle collectors, there is much more to discover than simply finding one example of the familiar crown.
Earlier bottles can differ considerably from later examples. Some early pieces use coloured glass and glass cross-shaped stoppers, while later versions may incorporate plastic components or coloured enamel applied over glass.
There are also numerous sizes, miniature bottles, boxed sets and cosmetic presentations to collect. Labels on the underside can help identify the original fragrance, which is particularly useful because several scents were sold in very similar crown-shaped bottles.
Dating individual examples requires some care. The crown design remained in use for many years, so a Prince Matchabelli crown bottle should not automatically be described as a 1920s or 1930s piece simply because the design originated in that period.
Condition is also important. Collectors should look for chips or cracks to the glass, loss of gilding or enamel, damaged stoppers and missing labels. Original boxes and packaging can add considerably to the appeal of a surviving example.
A Perfume Brand with a Remarkable Story
Prince Georges Matchabelli died in 1935 and Princess Norina sold the business the following year. The company subsequently passed through several owners, but the crown-shaped bottle remained closely associated with the Prince Matchabelli name.
For collectors today, the bottles have an appeal that goes well beyond perfume alone. They combine decorative glass, packaging design, fashion history and the story of a Georgian aristocrat who successfully reinvented himself in America.
Behind each little glass crown lies the remarkable story of a Georgian émigré who went from selling antiques on Madison Avenue and blending perfumes for private clients to creating one of the most distinctive names in 20th-century American perfumery.
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