Nativite Presentation (1942)

The Nativité collection by Lancôme, presented from 1942 through 1948, is a sublime example of holiday luxury, combining artistry, symbolism, and masterful craftsmanship. Central to this presentation was the unique flacon known as L’Ange Souffleur, designed by Georges Delhomme and crafted by the esteemed Verrières de la Bresle—an atelier in Normandy famed for producing exquisite, museum-quality perfume bottles. This bottle was specially created to hold several of Lancôme’s iconic fragrances, including Flèches, Tropiques, Cuir, Bocages, Conquete, and Kypre, transforming each scent into a radiant holiday treasure.

Bottle:

The bottle itself is a study in refined simplicity and spiritual symbolism. It takes the form of a rectangular block of colorless frosted glass, measuring approximately 4 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick, with a nearly square front face and a gently rounded back. The glass is thick and satiné, exuding a soft matte finish that lends the bottle a quiet dignity. When filled, the dark color of the perfume creates a striking contrast, appearing almost black behind the frosted surface, which accentuates the richness and mystery of what lies within.

On the front face of the bottle, a gilded relief captures an angel’s head with outstretched wings, delicately blowing air—a motif evoking breath, spirit, and the sacred moment of the Nativity. From the angel’s visage extend radiant sun rays, also rendered in gilded relief, sweeping down the bottle in a shower of golden light that beautifully aligns with the stopper above. The stopper itself is an elegant glass cap sitting over a smaller glass stopper, a design that adds a graceful curvature and an almost architectural quality to the silhouette. This detailed layering enhances the tactile and visual experience, inviting the hand to linger and the eye to appreciate the harmonious composition.

Presentation Box:

Complementing the bottle’s spiritual elegance was its magnificent presentation box, designed by Maurice Perot and manufactured by Draeger and Makowski. The box was a jewel in itself—cubical in form and covered in embossed silver foil that shimmered with luxurious texture. Its surface was richly decorated with five miniature lithographed medallions, each illustrating a cherished scene from the Nativity story: the infant Jesus, the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the shepherds’ star of Bethlehem, and the Christmas tree. The box’s intricate embossing and polychrome illustrations were reminiscent of a reliquary, invoking the sacredness of the holiday season and framing the perfume as a true objet d’art.

Lancôme’s Nativité presentation was much more than packaging—it was a poetic celebration of faith, artistry, and fragrance. The collaboration of Georges Delhomme’s bottle design, Verrières de la Bresle’s glass mastery, and Perot’s evocative box created an unforgettable sensory and visual experience, making these editions coveted keepsakes for collectors and perfume lovers alike..