Nina Ricci, Coeur Joie, 'Joyful Heart', 60 ml. or 2 oz. Flacon, Parfum Extrait, Lalique, 1946, 1950, Paris, France ..

Born in Turin in 1883, Maria Nielli became Nina Ricci upon arrival in Paris when she combined her nickname with her husband’s last name. Her Haute Couture house was founded in 1932, at 20 Rue de Capucines in Paris, complete with the design atelier and salons for fittings. Her technique, cuts, balance and materials conferred striking simplicity on the Nina Ricci woman.

Her son, Robert Ricci, created the Perfume department in 1941. Cœur-Joie appeared in 1946. Its bottle initiated the house’s longstanding collaboration with the crystal maker Lalique, which in 1948 created the celebrated bottle for L’Air du Temps. Crowned with crystal doves, it embodied love and liberty; the fragrance became the iconic perfume of the House.

The House acquired its current address at 39 Avenue Montaigne in 1979. Couture and Perfumes came together under one roof, while the ground floor was dedicated to the brand new Nina Ricci boutique. In 1998, the House became a part of the Barcelona-based, family-owned company PUIG. The longtime distributor of Nina Ricci perfumes in Spain, PUIG wished to perpetuate the house’s heritage.

Coeur Joie was launched in 1946. The nose behind this fragrance is Germaine Cellier. 'This exquisite Nina Ricci perfume comes off as a comparatively soft fragrance .. it is a delicate and low-key floral, with an elegant polish rendering it suitable for a Grace Kelly type’.

The bottle, designed by Marc Lalique with whom the Ricci family enjoyed a close relationship since childhood, reprised the romantic theme into a garlanded tube that was heart-shaped. These bottles have become extremely costly due to their rarity nowadays, especially when still sealed and in its original presentation box. The bottle is signed ‘Lalique’.

Coeur Joie was created at the end of WWII, in 1946, and named so as to reflect the exhilaration the French experienced with the liberation of France. Its name means literally joyous heart and can also be an allusion to the expression "A coeur joie" which suggests a sense of happiness and passion that is able to express itself untrammelled.

It was the house's first fragrance and was created by a famous woman perfumer of that time, Germaine Cellier. She actually collaborated with painter Christian Bérard and Lalique on the design of the flacon. She is the creator amongst others of Bandit and Fracas by Piguet, Vent Vert by Balmain, other masterpieces of 20th century perfumery. Robert Ricci, the son of Nina Ricci took an unconventional approach to the creation of Coeur Joie proposing the idea of creating a soft and understated green floral at a time when perfumes with deep heavy sillage were most fashionable.

Coeur Joie is classified as a floral aldehyde like Chanel No 5, due to a little fizzy Champagne facet to this type of floral perfumes. The iris in this composition is particularly beautiful and subtle and I would even say haunting.

"Coeur Joie conveys all the romantic and artistic philosophy of the house of Nina Ricci. It is a hymn to joy, a declaration of happiness. The charm and sensual delight of this heart-shaped bottle decorated with leaves and flowers designed by artist Christian Berard brings unutterable joy to a woman’s heart. An iris floral accord offers a pure, delicate fragrance."

The beautiful deep amber patina of the liquid in this bottle shows that almost no evaporation as occurred hover the decades, confirming that it contains the actual historic fragrance oil rather than coloured factice water.

The glass markings clearly tell the story ... the base is embossed with the distinct molded acid-etched text reading "NINA RICCI" along one edge and "MADE IN FRANCE" along another.

The "Lalique" Mark: If you look through the amber liquid, you can see the elegant script signature written across the center reading "Lalique France" or "Flacon Lalique".

This bottle was manufactured in the early 1950s. We can pinpoint this exact decade using three distinct details ..

Firstly, The Box Illustration .. The delicate gold line drawing on the front of the pink outer box features artwork by the famous French fashion illustrator Christian Bérard. He was a close friend of Nina Ricci and collaborated directly on the original launch campaign for Coeur Joie (which debuted in 1946). This specific pink "upright dresser" box style with his sketch was heavily used in the late 1940s and through the 1950s.

Secondly, the Base Signature Layout .. The words "NINA RICCI" and "MADE IN FRANCE" are prominently molded in raised, sans-serif block letters along the flat outer rim of the base. This specific molded rim layout .. paired with a delicate script signature across the center .. is textbook for Lalique's commercial fragrance contracts during the post-WWII era .. specifically 1947–1955.

Thirdly, the Crystal Type .. René Lalique passed away in 1945. His son, Marc Lalique, took over the company and changed the glass formulation to a higher-lead content, creating a brighter, much heavier true crystal. The exquisite clarity of the open heart cutout and the highly defined frosted floral border on this bottle show the signature brilliance of Marc Lalique's early crystal work.

Top notes are Bergamot, Hyacinth, Lemon Balm, and Neroli
Heart notes are Iris, Violet Absolute, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Oriental Rose, and Gardenia
Base notes are Orris Butter, and Precious Woods

Offered here is a magnificent two ounce heart shaped Lalique flacon filled with this exquisite perfume. Absolutely beautiful and a real treasure that has survived the years .. Still sealed with original baudruche and ties. Never opened. Some evaporation over the years. It comes in its opulent satin lined pink silk presentation box. Gorgeous!!