A 1928 advertisement presented the Coty Powder Bonbonnière as a refined vanity accessory—“an exquisite utility for the dressing table.” The piece consisted of a delicate Lalique-designed glass box that held a silk pouch filled with Coty Face Powder. Coty promoted the ensemble not only as a cosmetic necessity but as a small work of art, highlighting its compatibility with several of the house’s celebrated fragrances. The Bonbonnière was available scented with L’Origan, Paris, Chypre, Emeraude, Styx, and L’Aimant, aligning the powder with Coty’s most prestigious perfume families. Only two powder tones were offered—Naturel and Rachel, the standard complexion shades of the era. Priced at $40.00 in 1928—equivalent to approximately $750.98 in 2025—the Bonbonnière positioned itself at the height of luxury beauty merchandising.
The piece referenced in collectors’ literature is often identified as the Coty-Box-4 model (also known as the L'Origan box), originally created circa 1912 by René Lalique for François Coty. This box measures roughly 3 inches in height and 3.5 inches in diameter, its compact proportions balanced by the sculptural weight of the design. The lid is adorned with a finely modeled pair of robed, embracing women—an allegorical motif typical of Lalique’s early Art Nouveau style—accentuated with subtle patination to emphasize the figures’ contours. The underside of the box bears the relief-molded inscriptions LALIQUE DÉPOSÉ and TRADE MARK COTY FRANCE, anchoring the piece in its original period of production when Lalique personally designed and supervised the molds.
Collectors should be mindful that this design was reproduced after Coty opened his own glassworks in the early 1920s. Later versions can look strikingly similar but lack the authentic signature placement. The most desirable examples are those that display LALIQUE DÉPOSÉ within the recessed central area of the underside—this marking confirms production during the period when Lalique himself issued the piece. Boxes that bear only Coty’s name, have no signature, or feature the Coty signature in elaborate script within the recessed area while placing the Lalique mark on the rim are considered post-Lalique copies. While these later reproductions hold historical interest as Coty glassworks products, they are not true Lalique originals and should be distinguished accordingly by collectors.
