Important and Exceptionally Rare c1921 Chanel No 5 clear glass perfume bottle of square form and narrow silhouette, paper label, square stopper with intaglio molded monogram of interlocking “C’s” on surface, molded “Chanel-Paris” on bottom. Modernist nickel-plated metal case, “Chanel-Paris” stamped on inner lip. Presentation identified in 1920s Parfums Chanel catalog as “Flacon Série Luxe Pour Le Voyage-Étui Métal” and available in 6 sizes. Bottle 3 1/4 in. Case 3 1/2 in.This glass bottle was the first design Coco Chanel chose for her exclusive fragrance which came to be during Chanel’s “Russian Period” in collaboration with Ernest Beaux and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia. This first Chanel No 5 debuted a design of pure transparency that would be the opposite of the over-elaborate fragrance bottles then in fashion. The No 5 bottle did not need to be ornate for it was its precious and expensive content that mattered. It was made of very thin glass in square form with a narrow silhouette, delicate rounded shoulders, and a small flat square stopper with rounded corners impressed with an interlocking “C” logo in the center.Chanel never intended for her perfume to be available to the masses. She chose this design for the most exclusive of her couture customers. In 1923, Mlle. Chanel told Harpers Bazaar “My establishment is a maison de luxe. It caters to the women of leisure, and only to those whose atmosphere is pervaded by luxury. I am not interested in any work done for the masses nor in any work produced in quantities, or at a cost available to all. I want to sell to very few, and remain prohibitive.”Eventually she would be convinced to mass produced her perfume by Paul and Pierre Wertheimer. The bottle design would then change to sustain mass production and distribution. For much of its century-old history No. 5 has now been bottled in a rectangular bottle of substantial walls featuring square faceted corners and a flat, thick “gem-cut” faceted stopper. The historical significance of Chanel’s first No. 5 presentation is undeniable, as it also marked the first appearance of Chanel’s iconic logo, which in turn influenced future fashion houses. Due to the fragility of the bottle and the limited quantities produced — very few examples of this original model have survived. An example appeared on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of the “Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto” (2023-2024) exhibit with the support of the House of Chanel, with no design or glass maker attribution.No. 5 has been widely recognized as the most successful fragrance of all time. Epic marketing campaigns and celebrity endorsements have contributed throughout the last century to position No. 5 as an icon of the fragrance and fashion industry, but also as a pop culture phenomenon. Please visit the auction house website for an additional read on the bottle's history.