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A Note From The Founders...

There's something captivating about the history of Egyptian perfume bottles and vanity items that has always sparked our curiosity.

And the excitement that surrounded the discovery of King Tut's tomb in November 1922 ignited a fascination with Egyptian-themed perfume bottles and vanity items, making them popular collectibles today.

With that in mind, we're pleased to share our Egyptian-themed collection at Perfume Passage in this issue! 

A beautiful ad for Palmolive soap and Palm Oil from the 1920s features an Egyptian mummy to assist in selling the products!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey and Rusty, Co-founders

Perfume Passage embraces some of the beliefs from ancient Egypt, where scents were thought to possess magical powers, provide therapeutic benefits and enhance spiritual wellness. While we don't believe in the idea of magic, we absolutely celebrate the incredible healing properties of scents and the wonders of aromatherapy!

Perfumery has a rich and captivating history that dates back to ancient civilizations, where it was part of daily life. The Egyptians, pioneers of fragrance, infused their rituals, ceremonies and personal hygiene with an array of scents. 

Plant-based oils along with animal ingredients like musk, civet and ambergris, often formed the foundation of their fragrances. The Egyptians utilized heat and distillation to transform paste crafted from these ingredients into fragrant liquids.

Known as "Scent Makers," these skilled perfumers produced scents, ointments and incense in addition to pioneering the trade of perfume. They also introduced exotic fragrances from around the world to Egyptian society.

Fragrances quickly became a sought-after product, as merchants would sell their wares in markets throughout the areas, selling the raw materials as well as finished perfumes. Ingredients such as cedarwood, berries, animal fats and fruits were popular in the production of early perfumes. In addition, myrrh and frankincense were common resins used by the ancient Egyptians.

The Egyptians also employed an interesting technique called enfleurage. This process involved pressing flowers and herbs into fats, such as lard, allowing the fragrances to seep into the fat over time, creating luxurious scents.

Trays of flowers (below) showing the enfluerage method are on display in the Drugstore at Perfume Passage.

The legacy of ancient Egyptian perfumery is evident in the modern world. Many of the ingredients used in the past are still used in modern fragrances, and many of the techniques used by the ancient perfumers have been modified in the manufacturing of contemporary perfumery. 

• Polytheistic refers to the belief in or worship of multiple gods.

• Atenism championed the worship of the Aten, the sun disk, as the sole true god.

• The Eighteenth Dynasty is recognized as the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the era when ancient Egypt reached the peak of its power, spanning approximately from 1550 BC to 1292 BC (that’s 3,575 to 3,316 years ago).

Tutankhamun passed away unexpectedly at just 18 or 19 years old, with the exact cause of death sparking speculation, including suggestions that he died from a combination of malaria and a leg fracture.

His fame skyrocketed in 1922 when the discovery of his tomb was made by a team of British Egyptologists led by Howard Carter. Though some looting had occurred in ancient times, the tomb still held a treasure trove of over 5,000 artifacts, including Tut's untouched mummy!

The world was intrigued by the discovery, leading to a fascination with all things Egyptian. The mask of King Tut, which now resides at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, is a symbol of this remarkable find. For years, many of the treasures unearthed have been included in museum exhibitions around the world.

Carter started his excavations in 1922, with the first glimpse of the tomb's entrance staircase on November 4, 1922. By February 1923, the antechamber was fully cleared of everything but two sentinel statues (sculptures, often placed to "stand watch" or serve as guardians of a location, symbolizing protection or remembrance).

On January 5, 1923, the Houston Chronicle newspaper reported that four alabaster vases were removed from the outer chamber of King Tut's tomb. The article stated that the fragrances still retained their scent after more than 3,000 years!

The Louangel Corporation from Brooklyn, New York issued this 4 oz. bottle of King Tut cologne for men in 1979. The box features the image of King Tut from a 1976 exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

On November 4, 2007, 85 years after Carter's discovery, Tutankhamun's mummy was unveiled to the public, resting in an underground tomb at Luxor, situated on the eastern bank of the Nile River in Upper Egypt. The linen-wrapped artifact was placed into a specially designed, climate-controlled glass case, ensuring its preservation amidst growing decomposition issues. The exhibit closed for a while for restoration and reopened in 2019. Many of the original artifacts are now showcased at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, Egypt.

Perfume and vanity items with King Tut's image, along with other Egyptian themed items are part of the collection at Perfume Passage!

Two Egyptian items in our ancient display in the Vault gallery include Nefertem (above left) who was a prominent figure in ancient Egyptian mythology. He is known as the god of perfume, and is often associated with healing and aromatherapy. He's symbolized by the blue lotus, lion and perfume, and is usually depicted as a youthful god associated with the lotus flower.

Around 30 BCE the ancient God of Bes (above right) was worshiped as a household protector, especially of women and children.

He eventually was associated with the pleasures of life and was often featured on every day items such as this cosmetic container.

Mistero by Triofale (above) is a fragrance for women, launched in 1950. The 4" bottle came in a decorative box with a pharaoh image on the front.

In the 1960s Pharaoh Cosmetics from California produced cologne and aftershave for men in bottles with a pharaoh image on the bottle (left).

Chrysis Egyptian Perfume by RIchard Hudnut (above) features an Egyptian falcon with outstretched wings on the label. The embossed gold foil label reads "Chrysis Egyptian Perfume." The small 3" bottle has ribbed sides and a floral grey patina glass stopper. The bottle has an acid etched Made in France with the Hudnut logo on the bottom. It comes in a beautiful silver, black and orange box that has an orange and white tassel. The Chrysis fragrance for women was introduced in 1904. Hudnut also used this bottle and box presentation for several of their other fragrances.

Julien Viard designed this 6" Modernis flask-shaped perfume bottle with a Egyptian scarab stopper for Caron in 1913. 

The Fulper Pottery Works company issued this 5" x 2" Minyunet Mignonette glazed porcelain Egyptian woman perfume bottle in the 1920s. It comes with the original box.

This 1912 chalkware display is of an Egyptian woman holding a bowl. She is kneeling on a rectangular-shaped base that includes hieroglyphics.

It's part of the Made in Chicago display at Perfume Passage.

The Vantine's display window in the Passageway includes perfumes, toiletries, accessories and incense burners. The items above are both incense burners-- (left) An Egyptian woman is holding a basket that held the incense. It's marked with the model number 1272, Vantine's and Made in France on the bottom.

The 7" x 6" Vantine's incense burner (right) shows two Egyptian women holding a basket above their heads. It's marked with the model number 1286, Vantine's and Made in France on the bottom. Both date from the 1920s.

The Marblehead Pottery company made this 1927 perfume bottle. The 5" bottle is in the shape of a mummy and has Egyptian hieroglyphics down the front and back.

Marblehead Pottery was founded in 1904 by Dr. Herbert J. Hall as a therapeutic workshop for patients at a Marblehead, Massachusetts sanitarium. It soon became a commercial Arts and Crafts pottery business under Arthur E. Baggs, who bought the company in 1915.

Robj made this kneeling 8" Egyptian woman perfume lamp in the 1920s. It's stamped Robj and Made in Paris on the bottom. It's included in the Robj display in the Deco gallery.

Two fun ladies compacts with Egyptian motifs from the 1920s! The 6-1/2" celluloid vanity (below) includes an Egyptian figure on the front. Inside has a mirror and powder and rouge areas. There is a lipstick hidden in the tassel.

The round enamel powder compact (below) has an Egyptian figure on the lid. Inside is a mirror and area for powder. It measures 1-1/4" around and it can hang on a chain to wear it.

This brassy powder tin includes a mirror inside. It's also embossed ""Cleopatra Vanity Box Co., Pat. July 5th 1910, New York," on the inside. It measures 2" around.

These two clear odd shaped perfume bottles feature red etched Egyptian figures. The pointed caps lift off to reveal the stopper. No identification on the bottles, and the research on these unusual perfumes is an ongoing project at Perfume Passage!

Ahmed Soliman (1906-1956) owned a perfumery in the Khan-Khalili Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt during the first half of the 20th century. He marketed himself as "Cairo's Perfume King" in his promotional materials and claimed to have clients from around the world, including many Royal family members. His shop also sold incense and kohl in addition to a variety of fragrances.

This beautiful cut glass perfume bottle measures 6" tall and the sterling stopper is in the shape of a pharoah's head!

This milk glass triangular-shaped powder box was made by Detroit's Agra Parfumeur company for their Nysis face powder. It dates from the 1920s.

We’re thrilled when we stumble upon paper items featuring Egyptian motifs, as it perfectly aligns with our passion for ephemera at Perfume Passage!

A 1927 Colgate catalog featured toilet waters with an Egyptian image on the bottle and box. Not a bad price at $7.20 per dozen!

Ramses Le Secret du Sphinx was a fragrance for women released in 1917. The clear glass Baccarat bottle has Egyptian symbols etched on the front.

The Hart-Albin Company, an iconic department store in Billings, Montana opened its doors in 1902 and operated until 1990. They were a retail business in the heart of downtown and a shopping haven for many. Just take a look at this fantastic April 20, 1923 advertisement, offering some of the most now sought-after Egyptian perfumes today! Among those for sale were Perfume Passage favorites including Secret du Sphinx, Sphinx d'Or and Ramses IV. Each sold for $3.50 an ounce, that's about $66.30 today!

This 3" clear glass Ramses Sphinx D'Or bottle has a frosted blue glass stopper in the shape of a sphinx. It was made by Julien Viard in 1919.

This beautiful 4.75" Rames IV Baccarat perfume bottle was made by Julien Viard in 1919.

Scripophily is the study and collecting of vintage stocks and bonds and has become a popular ephemera collecting category. The word scripophily combines English and Greek words--scrip represents an ownership right and philos means to love.

The older perfume and cosmetic stock certificates, such as the above 1919 Ramses certificate, are often printed in color with company buildings, addresses and logos, providing insight to a company's history. The vintage stock certificates in the Perfume Passage collection have been canceled and do not have any investment value, but they are the real deal!

An embossed compact with Ramses image on the lid was featured in a Vogue magazine 1923 advertisement.

The compact included a mirror and powder cake and signed puff. The paper over the powder states that the powder was "blended from many of the historical essences that were known in the days of Tut-Ankh-Amen (King Tut)!"

The ad claims that the featherweight jewel compact is the thinest, lightest, most beautiful and most serviceable compact in the world--and it is priced at just $1.00.

The compact was imported from Paris by the New York LeBlume Import company.

This ornate perfume card for Folie d'Opium by Ramses states that the fragrance is on sale in department stores and perfumeries. It was a scent for women, released in 1916.

Cleopatra is famously recognized as the captivating, intelligent and politically astute last queen of ancient Egypt! Her life story has inspired countless books, theater productions and films, making her a true pop culture phenomenon. 

An interesting twist is that while she ruled Egypt, Cleopatra wasn’t actually Egyptian! She belonged to the last Macedonian Greek dynasty that governed Egypt from 323 BC to around 30 BC (over 2000 years ago).

Her complicated history makes for interesting reading, and it’s no wonder her image has adorned so many now-collectible vanity items over the years!

Cleopatra is depicted in the mural on the wall (third from left) in the Vault gallery holding a perfume bottle.

Revlon, Inc. is a multinational company dealing in cosmetics and perfumes, established in 1932 in New York. It was founded by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson and chemist Charles Lachman. They began selling lipstick in 1939 and today Revlon products are sold in over 150 countries. In their heyday, the company was the second largest cosmetic company by sales, behind only Avon.

Between 1961 and 1963 Revlon released a series of lipstick dolls, also known as Couturines. They were made out of a rubber-like material and had fabric and ribbon coverings and some wore hats and rhinestone necklaces. The more ornate ones wore fur, including real chinchilla, fox and mink!

The Sphinx lipstick doll had a label with the name. Its issue was timed with the release of the 1963 movie Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor. The lipstick had nothing to do with Cleopatra's love triangle with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony as she tried to save the Egyptian empire. However, the film inspired Egyptian themed clothing lines, home accessories and makeup trends. Revlon's Sphinx lipstick doll is one of their most popular dolls.

Perfume Passage Foundation is set to open in Milan, Italy in early 2026!

Exciting progress continues around the clock! Before long, our displays will come to life, focusing on the fascinating history of Italian perfumery and beauty items from the mid-1800s to the end of the 20th century.

Our displays will take visitors on an immersive journey through the artistry of fragrance, highlighting the rich history and the socioeconomic influences that shaped it all.

This is a transformation of the current Museo del Profumo. We're in the midst of breaking down walls and designing a stunning interior that will captivate and inspire!

A street view of the new location.

Additional rendition of the vitrines.

Keeping with the Egyptian theme, here is a rare display in the Museum in Milan for Liriope Prodotti di Belleza. The display features the head of Nefertiti, renowned as a queen of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the royal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten

One of the oldest commercial perfume houses in Italy is Migone & Co., established by Angelo Migone in 1778 at Via Orefici, Milan. You will find one of their vintage treasures in the Milan museum. Here is a beautifully boxed Migone & Co. gift set from the late 1800s that includes perfume, soap and powder.

Pietro Bortolotti established his perfume house in 1827 in Bologna, Italy. He launched Essenza D'Oro in 1910, which is a beautiful presentation on display in the museum in Milan. Bortolotti's most successful fragrance, Acqua di Felsina, won the gold medal at the Philadelphia Exposition in 1876.

Follow us on Instagram to see the progress and updates. We look forward to hosting your visit in the new year.



Our mission is to preserve the history, beauty and artistry of perfume bottles, compacts, ephemera and related vanity items. Through education, outreach, and awareness of the Perfume Passage collection and library, our goal is to inspire art lovers, collectors, arts and curators to keep this history alive. 

Perfume Passage Foundation perfumepassage.org