Antique French Thousand-Eye Crystal Perfume Bottle

Antique French Thousand-Eye Crystal Perfume Bottle

France, 19th century

Material: Ruby cased crystal with silver mount

Technique: Hand-cut mille-œil (thousand-eye) pattern

This exquisite 19th-century French perfume bottle exemplifies the height of glass artistry. Crafted using the cased-glass technique, artisans first blew a clear crystal core and then layered it with a thin sheath of molten ruby glass. Once cooled, each scaled facet — known as the mille-œil or “thousand-eye” pattern — was painstakingly wheel-cut by hand, revealing glimmers of the clear crystal beneath. The result is a luminous honeycomb of light that shimmers with depth and precision.

The bottle’s surface was then polished to a mirror finish and crowned with a finely chased silver cap, completing a piece that glows like fire when touched by sunlight. True mille-œil work was never molded; each eye was individually cut and polished, making every example unique.

Condition: Excellent antique condition with minimal age wear. There is no stopper underneath the silver cap.