Powder compact
Houbigant
Category
Household and miscellaneous
Date
1920 - 1929
Materials
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Cliveden Estate, Buckinghamshire
NT 766594
Summary
Powder compact by Houbigant, incised art deco motif, found in shrubbery close to the Tortoise Fountain. Compact still contains powder, applicator and mirror. The powder compact was made by the French company Houbigant which was established in 1775, and was named Perfumer to Queen Victoria and the Imperial Court of Russia in the 1800s. The compact would have contained a perfumed face powder in the shade known as ‘Rachel’. Early face powders of that time typically came in three shades: Blanche (white), Naturelle (pink) and Rachel (cream). The ‘Rachel’ shade was named after the French actress Élisa Rachel Félix.
Makers and roles
Houbigant , manufacturer