Guerlain, Mouchoir de Monsieur, Gentleman's Handkerchief, 80 ml. or 2.81 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, Flacon Carre, 1904, 1935, Paris, France

The House of Guerlain is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world. It was founded in 1828 when Pierre-Francois Pascal Guerlain opened up his first perfume store on 42, Rue de Rivoli in Paris.

Pierre-Francois composed and manufactured custom perfumes with the help of his two sons, Aime & Gabriel. His unique approach was to personalize perfume for a specific person, place or event. Honore de Balzac commisioned his own eau de toilette during the writing of Cesar Birotteau, and the periodical La Sylphide, le Journal des Elegances, scented each issue with a different fragrance by Guerlain.

Guerlain catered to the high society of Paris, and obtained a very loyal following. The perfume house was so successful that Guerlain decided to open a flagship store at 15, Rue de la Paix in Paris in 1840. The house was at its peak in 1853 with it's fragrance Eau de Cologne Imperiale. This perfume gained Guerlain the prestigious title of His Majesty's Official Perfumer of France. This in turn led him to create perfumes for other royals such as Queen Victoria of England, the Empress Sissi of Austria, the Queen of Belgium and Queen Isabella of Spain as well as other crowned heads of royalty.

Launched in 1904, Mouchoir de Monsieur by Guerlain is a Oriental fragrance for men. Mouchoir de Monsieur was originally presented in the crystal snail or escargot bottle, one of Guerlain's most exquisite Art Nouveau designs, which was used for this perfume from 1902 to 1962. The nose behind this fragrance is Jacques Guerlain. In the early 20th century, dandies launched the fashion for fine batiste handkerchiefs. Delicately scented, they became their must-have accessory, while elegant ladies hid their gaze behind a black veil. Jacques Guerlain mischievously took his inspiration from this seductive attire to create "Mouchoir de Monsieur" in 1904 for the wedding of one of his friends.

"Until Guerlain decided to put a new version of it on the general market in the late 1980s, Mouchoir de Monsieur .. "Gentleman's Handkerchief" ..was reputedly available only to actor and bon vivant Jean-Claude Brialy and King Juan Carlos of Spain. Created by Jacques Guerlain in 1904 as one of the very first fragrances specifically for men. It's from an epoch where well-to-do, hat-adorned ladies promenaded with their gloved hand under the arm of elegant monsieurs. In the gentleman's breast pocket perched a small handkerchief, and it was etiquette to offer this handkerchief lightly perfumed with cologne to the lady as a romantic souvenir. Jacques Guerlain conceived this perfume along with its feminine counterpart Voilette de Madame .. "Lady's Little Veil" .. long gone but sold as a limited EdT edition in 2005, as a gift set for a friend's wedding.

Entirely in keeping with fashion standards at the turn of the century, Mouchoir de Monsieur was the embodiment of discreet elegance. All soft edges and velvet cushions, it seemed to be Jacques Guerlain's vision of the Guerlinade Pour Homme. On paper and in the scent diagram, Mouchoir de Monsieur looks very similar to Aimé Guerlain’s Jicky, an example of the so-called "formules à tiroir" where one formula is being used as the basis of another. All things taken together, fresh rose, powder, Mouchoir de Monsieur could be the younger brother of Jicky, bright, dandy and not so formal. Its extremely precise equilibrium between the genteel and the flirtatious is quite impressive." Monsieur Guerlain.

Top notes are Lavender, Lemon Verbena, and Bergamot
Heart notes are Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Cinnamon, Jasmine, Neroli, and Rose
Base notes are Iris, Amber, Vanilla, and Oak Moss

Offered here is an absolutely pristine bottle of this wonderful perfume . It know smells divine. This is very rare. It comes in its original presentation box, which is very pristine and in perfect shape. There is a tiny tear in the baudruche at the top, but it doesn't affect the quality of this beautiful perfume ..

Rare, rare .. Guerlain collectors ..