Lenthéric, Lentheric,, Asphodèle, Asphodel, 30 ml. of 1 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, 1928, Paris, France ..

Lenthéric is an very old and venerated company which was established in 1795 as a millinery. In the 19th century, fashion accessories were added to the store. From 1873, perfumes were being informally blended in the store for sale. Guillaume Louis Lenthéric, a hairdresser, established the perfume-cosmetics company 'La Parfumerie des Orchidees' in 1885.

Guillaume Lenthéric exclusively distilled and dispensed the rarest perfumes in France for the loveliest ladies of the courts and aristocracy in Europe. He was one of the first to venture into foreign fields and eventually his firm passed into English hands. A large building at 245 rue du Faubourg-Saint Honore in Paris was acquired in 1885 and turned into a salon for millinery, perfumes, cosmetics and important beauty-hairdressing. Lenthéric was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur in gratitude for his contributions to one of France's greatest industries.

By 1900, branches were opened in Deauville, Monte Carlo, Nice, Biarritz, Ostend, Baden-Baden, and London. In 1910, the company was acquired by Velsch & Holtz. Guillaume Lenthéric died in 1912. Lenthéric began marketing perfumes in the United States in the 1920s, opening a very lavish salon at the Savoy Plaza in New York. Their distributor was John J. Murphy. The firm incorporated in 1924. Lenthéric became a subsidiary of Squibb, and was 90% controlled by the parent company in January 1942.

In 1947, Lenthéric, Inc., experienced a decline in earnings due to higher wages, advertising expenses, and vast returns of merchandise from retail stores, which trimmed inventories. In 1951 the company hoped to increase sales by introducing a new line of makeup called Sheer Beauty. Lenthéric was later acquired by Squibb in 1956. Squibb had manufacturing plants in Brooklyn, New York and New Brunswick, New Jersey in July 1952. The Squibb main building was at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street in New York City.

In 1990, Old Bond Street, which was owned by Wasserstein Perella & Co., purchased Lenthéric and Yardley . In 1998, Old Bond Street collapsed and Lenthéric was sold to Shaneel Enterprises Ltd. Such was the fate of this marvellous old company, but due to the high quality of the products, they were able to maintain their sales and stay in business through the different ownerships.

Asphodèle by Lentheric is a Floral fragrance for women which was launched in 1928. The composition centers on narcissus in the opening, followed by a heart of cyclamen, tuberose, and lily that highlights a classic floral character. A base of musk and green notes provides a soft, slightly verdant foundation that balances the richer white florals.

'The Asphodel Meadows, located in the Greek underworld, serve as a neutral afterlife destination for ordinary souls who were neither virtuous nor wicked. This desolate, gray landscape .. often associated with the white asphodel flower, a symbol of death and mourning .. represents a quiet, in-between realm where spirits drift without memory or purpose.'

Asphodelus is a genus of mainly perennial flowering plants in the asphodel family Asphodelaceaethat was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The genus was formerly included in the lily family .. Liliaceae. The genus is native to temperate Europe .. mostly the south of Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent, and some species have been introduced to, and are now naturalized in, other places such as New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and southwestern United States. Many asphodels are popular garden plants.

Asphodel in perfumery is used to evoke a soft,, slightly sweet, and often "ghostly" floral scent, traditionally associated with Greek mythology and the underworld. It is often described as having notes of lily, fresh-cut green stems, or a "juicy-velvet" floral, frequently used in niche perfumery for its ethereal, poetic, and nostalgic quality.

Descriptions vary, with some perceiving a clean, powdery, and soapy floral, while others experience it as a rich, warm, and narcotic floral, sometimes combined with carnation or jasmine.

Top note is Narcissus
Heart notes are Tuberose, Cyclamen and Lily
Base notes are Green Notes and Musk

Offered here is a very rare flacon of Lenthéric's gorgeous Asphodèle. It is softly feminine and sweet. It reminds me a little of Houbigant's lovely Quelques Fleurs .. just beautiful .. delicate .. soft ..

This bottle has been previously opened, but barely if ever used .. stunning ..