43 - Louis SÜE (based on a design by) & Jean PATOU (1887–1936)

Louis SÜE (based on a design by) & Jean PATOU (1887–1936) “Normandie” perfume bottle and cap, a design created in 1935. Prototypes made of blown, molded, and pressed white glass set within a chrome-plated metal shell shaped like an ocean liner’s hull, mounted on a rectangular cardboard base covered with blue and silver paper (cap stuck in place, signs of wear, stains). Titled “Normandie” and marked “Jean Patou Paris” on a label on the front featuring a tricolor banner. H 9 cm – L 21 cm – D 7 cm History: Designed to mark the launch of the ocean liner “Normandie,” this bottle was presented to first-class passengers during the inaugural crossing from Le Havre to New York on May 29, 1935. Reissues of this model are currently held in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (inv. no. 2017.113.4.1-3) and the Écomusée de Saint-Nazaire (inv. no. 2003.3.7). Provenance: former collection of Mr. William Bertrand, Minister of Merchant Marine from 1934 to 1936; passed by inheritance to his housekeeper and has remained in the family ever since. Bibliography: Various authors, *Normandie, l’épopée du “Géant des mers”*, Éditions Herscher, Paris, 1985; a variant of our model is reproduced on p. 185.