1912 R. Lalique et Cie. “Oreilles Epines” (“Ears with Thorns”) perfume bottle and stopper, brown patina. Acid script signature. 4 in.Following Rene Lalique’s success of producing bottles for the perfume industry 1908-1910, he began to design vanity items for his own firm including boxes, inkwells and perfume bottles. Among the bottle designs from 1910 to 1920 were models with “ears” comprised of lateral handle-like elements extending beyond the central perfume chamber, molded with an identical motif viewed from front or back. To achieve a seamless design, the body was molded as one piece and the base fused later by reheating the glass. Lalique’s creative vision and master craftsmanship is particularly showcased in the “Oreilles Epines” of 1912 which employs one of Lalique’s signature Art Nouveau motifs of tangled thorns. This exceptional perfume bottle retains its original brown patina which makes this example very realistic and three-dimensional. The frosted glass on the thorns, combined with the varying depth of molding, is heightened with a heavy application of patina which allows light to glow through in specific areas. These features combined give the illusion of a carved natural material – reminiscent of some of Lalique’s original jewelry creations. In August of 2005, this bottle was discovered at the Antiques Roadshow in Los Angeles, CA. Ms Katherine Wadden attended the event with several other of her mother’s perfume bottles and was shocked to learn that one of them was in fact one of Rene Lalique’s rarest creations and given an auction estimate of $30,000-40,000. “Oreilles Epines” was originally Ms. Wadden’s grandmother’s bottle. The Perfume Bottles Auction is pleased to represent this extraordinary treasure and assist Ms. Wadden’s family in finding this bottle a new home.