31 - COINTREAU - c.1945–50

COINTREAU - c.1945–50 Based on a work by Jean-Adrien MERCIER (1899–1995), not credited. Advertising project for a box design for the Cointreau brand, created as an original gouache model featuring an ingenious folding mechanism. 21 x 9 x 9 cm. The overall condition is very good, and the colors are beautifully preserved. The artwork is completely intact and shows no signs of alteration. Note two minor structural details: a missing tab at the top (the two bottom tabs are present) and a slight tear located only along the fold of one edge, which does not affect the illustration. A very beautiful collector’s item. This original piece by Jean Adrien Mercier, though unsigned, features the iconic figure of Pierrot for the famous Angers-based spirits house. The folding mechanism allows Pierrot to appear in three dimensions. Founded in 1849 in Angers by the Cointreau brothers, the family-owned distillery gained worldwide renown in 1875 thanks to the invention of its famous triple sec liqueur. To set itself apart from the competition, Édouard Cointreau designed a revolutionary four-sided amber glass bottle in 1885. This unique geometric shape echoes the four ingredients in the recipe. Maine-et-Loire/Pays-de-la-Loire