Bouquet Antique (1923)

Bouquet Antique, introduced by Parfums Ciro in 1923, carries a name that immediately suggests refinement, nostalgia, and an air of cultivated elegance. The phrase is French—bouquet (boo-KAY) meaning “a cluster of flowers” or “a blended perfume,” and antique (ahn-TEEK), meaning “ancient” or “old-world.” Together, Bouquet Antique evokes the idea of a timeless floral arrangement—something with depth, history, and sophistication rather than the brightness of a freshly cut posy. It calls to mind the soft patina of age, heirloom objects, and the romantic charm of a bygone era. Emotionally, the name stirs impressions of vintage tapestries, ornate salons, and perfumes worn by women immortalized in paintings—elegant, worldly, and perhaps a touch mysterious.

The fragrance arrived at a pivotal moment in cultural history. The early 1920s were part of the Années Folles—the “Crazy Years”—a period in France and the greater Western world marked by artistic innovation, jazz-age glamour, and shifting social norms following the First World War. Women were embracing freedoms previously denied to them: shorter haircuts, modern fashions, and a more open engagement with cosmetics and fragrance. Perfume houses flourished, experimenting with new accords, bolder compositions, and luxurious presentations. Oriental fragrances, powdery florals, spice-laden blends, and rich bouquets became the dominant styles, fueled by advances in synthetic aroma chemicals and a growing fascination with exoticism.

Women of the 1920s would likely have responded warmly to a perfume called Bouquet Antique. The name speaks to tradition and refinement, yet also suggests a carefully constructed artistic blend—something luxurious and decidedly feminine. In an era that balanced modernity with nostalgia, a perfume bearing this name would have appealed to a woman who wanted to embrace new fashions without abandoning old-world sophistication. Its suggested suitability “for brunettes” reflects a common marketing trope of the period, when perfumers often matched fragrances to hair color, complexion, or personality type, adding an alluring, personalized mystique.

Interpreted through scent, Bouquet Antique promises a floral arrangement enriched with spice and oriental warmth: a soft, shadowed bouquet rather than a bright modern floral. One imagines dusky petals, powdered spices, and a gentle resinous glow—notes that unfold slowly and linger intimately on the skin. The classification as a soft, spicy floral oriental fits neatly into the era’s fascination with opulence, exotic themes, and sensuality, yet it stands apart in its more subdued, introspective character compared to the bold orientals that dominated the decade.

Henriette Gabilla, of Les Parfums de Gabilla, created this composition and was responsible not only for the fragrance but for shaping Ciro’s early identity. In 1923 she trademarked several of Ciro’s foundational names—Bouquet Antique, Ptah, and Le Chevalier de la Nuit—revealing her central role in the house’s creative direction. Her style often blended sophistication with a subtly dramatic aura, and Bouquet Antique fits this signature beautifully.

In the broader context of 1920s perfumery, Bouquet Antique harmonized with the prevailing trends—rich florals softened with powder, spices, resins, and emerging synthetic notes that gave fragrances increased longevity and complexity. Yet within that landscape, it maintained a distinctive elegance. It was neither aggressively modern nor entirely traditional. Instead, it offered a poised and graceful interpretation of the oriental-floral concept, making it a compelling choice for women who appreciated nuance and a sense of historic romance within their perfume wardrobe.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Bouquet Antique is classified as a soft, spicy floral oriental fragrance for women. It was suggested to be worn by brunettes.

• Top notes:  bergamot, lemon, neroli petale, petitgrain, sweet orange, hydroxycitronellal 
• Middle notes: carnation, clove, pimento, cinnamon, cinnamic alcohol, methyl eugenol, isoeugenol, jasmine, linalool, linalyl acetate, rose, phenyl ethyl alcohol, ylang ylang, heliotropin, violet, methyl ionone, iris  
• Base notes: benzyl salicylate, amyl salicylate, sandalwood, Peru balsam, labdanum, ambergris, castoreum, civet, musk, ambrette, vanilla, vanillin, benzoin, tonka bean, coumarin, cinnamic aldehyde, cedar, oakmoss, vetiver, opoponax, styrax, costus root, tolu balsam

Scent Profile:

Bouquet Antique opens with a shimmering, almost luminous brightness—an introduction that feels like sunlight passing through stained glass. The first breath brings the tart sparkle of Italian bergamot, its citrus oils carrying a soft floral nuance that is unmistakably Mediterranean. Lemon follows immediately, sharper and more crystalline, lending a clean, brisk shimmer that wakes the senses. Woven through this citrus glow is neroli pétale, a tender fraction of orange blossom that smells like fresh white petals just warmed by the sun—green, honeyed, and faintly waxy. 

Petitgrain, distilled from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree, adds a counterpoint of leafy bitterness and a dry, herbaceous edge, while sweet orange softens the composition with round, juicy warmth. Into this bright orchard air floats hydroxycitronellal, the classic early-20th-century lily-of-the-valley molecule. Its cool, dewy greenness smooths the sharper citrus edges and creates a soft halo around the top notes, extending their freshness and lending an early hint of the powdery heart to come.

As the fragrance deepens, the heart reveals its true character—lush, spicy, and florid in the unmistakable style of the 1920s. Carnation unfurls first, reminiscent of the great carnation perfumes of the Art Deco era: peppery, clove-rich, and slightly metallic. This spiciness is heightened by clove bud oil, its eugenol-rich warmth immediately recognizable, but here nuanced by the complexity of pimento berry, which brings an allspice-like resonance—warm, rounded, and slightly sweet. 

Cinnamon and cinnamic alcohol continue the theme, adding both the dry warmth of ground spice and the honeyed, balsamic sweetness of its natural aromatic molecules. These natural spices are intensified and shaped by subtle touches of methyl eugenol and isoeugenol, materials that were often naturally present in floral absolutes of the period. They enhance the warmth and fullness of the carnation accord, smoothing the sharper edges and giving the heart a glowing, velvety depth.

From beneath this spicy architecture rises a grand, opulent floral bouquet. Jasmine, with its rich, indolic warmth, breathes a softly animalic undertone that makes the composition feel alive. Rose, elevated by phenyl ethyl alcohol, adds fresh dewiness and a natural, petal-like roundness—less “perfume-like” and more like the breath of a living flower. Ylang ylang contributes its creamy, custard-like florality, binding the spices and white florals with its exotic warmth. Linalool and linalyl acetate, naturally occurring in many flowers, act as gentle diffusers—adding airiness, shimmer, and polish, preventing the dense floral heart from becoming too heavy.

Soft violet breezes drift through the fullness of the bouquet, shaped by methyl ionone, which lends the unmistakable, powdery velvet of Parma violet and a hint of orris-like sweetness. True iris, cool and buttery, adds a refined, cosmetic-like elegance. Heliotropin glows at the edges with its almond-vanilla softness, adding a nostalgic, powdery sweetness that feels utterly in line with early 1920s perfumery—romantic, feminine, and slightly wistful.

As Bouquet Antique settles into its base, the composition becomes warm, resinous, and gently animalic—an oriental in the true classical sense. Benzyl salicylate and amyl salicylate lay down a silky, floral-woody foundation, smoothing transitions and adding long-lasting radiance. Sandalwood, very likely Mysore in origin during the period, brings its legendary creamy, milky depth—soft, meditative, and luxuriously persistent.

The resinous accord is sumptuous: Peru balsam, with its vanillic sweetness; benzoin, warm and comforting; tolu balsam, rich and slightly smoky; styrax and opoponax, adding leathery, ambered, incense-like warmth. Labdanum gives the base a dark, resinous chewiness that anchors the sweeter elements. Oakmoss contributes its deep forest-green earthiness—damp, mossy, shadowed—while vetiver threads through with its smoky, rooty elegance.

Animalic notes—hallmarks of 1920s perfumery—breathe life into the drydown. Ambergris provides salty, shimmering radiance and incomparable diffusion. Civet, in tiny classical amounts, lends warmth and sensuality, while castoreum introduces a leathery, subtly smoky undertone. Musk and botanical ambrette seed soften these edges, giving the base a soft pelt-like warmth, plush and inviting.

The sweeter notes rise last: vanilla and vanillin providing creamy warmth, coumarin imparting its hay-tonka elegance, and cinnamic aldehyde adding a lingering trace of spice. Costus root, with its warm, skin-like, slightly animalic softness, adds one final whisper of intimacy.

Together, these elements create a fragrance that feels like an antique bouquet preserved in silk and amber—a spicy floral oriental glowing with warmth, romance, and vintage refinement. It unfolds gradually, each ingredient revealing itself as though you were leaning closer and closer to the heart of a timeworn, perfumed heirloom.

Bottles:

Bouquet Antique appeared in a presentation that perfectly reflected its name—a harmony of softness, refinement, and quiet luxury. The bottle itself had a gentle, rounded silhouette, its curves echoing the fluid grace of early-1920s design. Rather than sharp lines or angular modernity, this flacon favored a more romantic profile, almost as if it were shaped by hand rather than machine. Its most striking feature was the stopper: a delicately molded blossom with petals that seem to droop naturally, as though captured at the moment just before they fall. This floral form was further elevated with touches of blue and gold enamel, adding a whisper of color and a sense of jeweled ornamentation without overwhelming the understated beauty of the glass.

The sizes offered allowed the fragrance to reach different audiences and serve different purposes. The tallest version, standing at 5 inches, held a generous 8 ounces of Eau de Toilette—ideal for regular, lavish use and likely intended for the vanity table of someone who wore the fragrance daily. The 3.5-inch bottle contained 2.5 ounces of Parfum, while the 2.75-inch bottle offered 1 ounce of the more concentrated extrait. These parfum bottles would have felt precious and intimate in the hand, designed for slow, deliberate use and treasured as personal objects of luxury. A miniature standing just 1⅜ inches tall was introduced later, around 1930, allowing the fragrance to be enjoyed as a collectible keepsake or gifted in a charming, portable form.

Altogether, the presentation of Bouquet Antique combined elegance, sensuality, and the refined craftsmanship associated with Parfums Ciro and the early 20th century. Its softly rounded form and flower-shaped enamelled stopper created an immediate impression of delicate femininity, while the range of sizes underscored its place as both an object of daily adornment and a small jewel of a perfume bottle worthy of collection.

Hearst's, 1928:

"All the Ciro Perfumes — including Doux Jasmin, Bouquet Antique, and Parfum Maskee — are made, packaged, and sealed in France."

Another bottle was used for Bouquet Antique and was a tall modified version of the round bottle. This newer bottle was cylindrical and tapered at the top, much like a cone, it had a molded, frosted glass stopper also in the shape of a flower. This Art Deco bottle was decorated with blue, yellow and black enamel. Bottle stands 3.25" tall.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. Still sold in 1941.