With a comparatively poor sense of hygiene it is no wonder that Versailles during Louis XIV became known as "the perfumed court". However, even when hygiene became better the taste for perfume did not abate - just look at today. One way of using perfume was to burn it which would spread the pleasant aromas in the entire apartment.
Pot pourri vase from 1740 which belonged to Madame de Pompadour. The vase itself was imported from China and made from celadon. It was listed amongst the Marquise's property upon her death in 1764.
This magnificent piece was a present for the Duke of Saxony from Marie Josèphe - his daughter. The 470 flowers are artificial but the porcelain beneath is made for storing perfume so that the flowers could "spread" a lovely scent.
The porcelain and the gilded stand were made in Vincennes.
Agate incense burner which Marie Antoinette once owned. It was a part of the decoration of her Grand Cabinet. The burner was made around 1784 by the king's jeweller, Charles Ouizille, with the miniature being by Jacques-Joseph de Gault.
This perfume burner was originally made for the Duc d'Aumont but was acquired by Marie Antoinette following his death. This one dates back to 1782 and is by Pierre Gouthière.
Jade perfume burner owned by the Grand Dauphin, 1684-87. The gold work is made in the French fashions of the time.
Lacquer boxes used for incense - part of Marie Antoinette's extensive collection of Japanese objet d'arts.
Another work by Pierre Gouthière for the Duc d'Aumont which was later bought by Louis XVI in 1782. They were recently sold by Sothesby at auction.
Marie Antoinette's collection of Asian objet d'arts included this perfume burner. It originated in China and dates back to the Kangxi-dynasty. It entered the queen's collection in 1780.
This crack-look vase features a small compartment for perfume and was a part of the décor of Louis XV's wardrobe. It was created in 1743
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