Perfume bottle (one of six) (part of a set) 1728 - 1730

Editor: This is a perfume bottle, or rather, one of a set of six, crafted by Louis Mailly between 1728 and 1730. It combines glass and silver, and is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What strikes me first is its strong verticality. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: Observe how the facets of the glass play with light, creating a sense of depth and volume. Note the contrast between the transparency of the glass and the opaqueness of the silver. Mailly’s choice of materials is not arbitrary; the clear glass enhances the colors of the perfume it once held. And what of the silver? Editor: Well, the silverwork is very ornate and, although small, gives the bottles a real sense of importance. The Baroque style of the piece is particularly apparent in its elaborate form, but what of the geometrical pattern? Curator: Exactly. The geometric facets of the glass create a balanced symmetry, and counterpoint to the naturalism often seen in Baroque art. This precise division controls the light and organizes the visible. Tell me, where do your eyes focus, when taking it all in? Editor: I keep returning to the silver caps; they're like crowns. It never occurred to me to consider perfume bottles as a sculptural form before, but you have brought out so much in the pure composition. Curator: And you pointed to the overt, yet often overlooked verticality, thus affecting perception. Mailly provides a beautiful example of form and function melding into art, emphasizing that even everyday objects can become statements through design and detail.