The Flacon Lanterne Bleue (Blue Lantern), produced between 1935 and 1943, is one of Guerlain’s most striking Art Deco-era designs. Its form, a cube-shaped “lantern” rendered in rich cobalt glass, gave the bottle both modernist simplicity and dramatic visual presence. The flacon’s deep, midnight-blue tone was not merely decorative but also functional, shielding the perfume from exposure to light and helping to preserve its integrity. Each bottle was fitted with a clear glass stopper of flared cubic form, echoing the geometry of the base while creating a subtle play of contrast between dark body and translucent top.
Created by Pochet et du Courval, the design was originally introduced to hold extraits of Jicky, Rue de la Paix, Cuir de Russie, Jasmin, Sous le Vent, and several other Guerlain compositions. Over time, the flacon became a standard presentation for as many as thirty different fragrances offered by the house in France, Europe, and the United States. Five separate moulds were produced by Pochet et du Courval, with bottles typically embossed on the underside with both the word “Guerlain” and the firm’s entwined “HP” mark. Although widely adopted, in France the bottle was marketed more selectively: from February 1937 until the end of 1943, only the 80 cc, 125 cc, and 250 cc sizes were available, reserved for specific scents such as Ambre, Cuir de Russie, Gardenia, Lavande, Pois de Senteur, and Verveine.
The labeling system for the Lanterne Bleue was precise and consistent. A white-and-gold paper label was always placed on the underside of the bottle, never on its faces. Three sizes were produced to correspond to the different formats: a 2.6 cm label for the three larger bottles, a 1.8 cm label for the medium size (7.3 cm in height), and a 1.4 cm label for the smallest (5.4 cm in height). This understated placement ensured that the bold form and rich blue glass remained uninterrupted by paper decoration, emphasizing the flacon’s architectural purity.
Though its production ended during the war years, the Flacon Lanterne Bleue retained a certain mystique and was revived in 1999 when Guerlain reissued the design to house a limited edition 125 ml extrait of Guet Apens. This reintroduction not only honored the elegance of the original form but also reconnected a late 20th-century fragrance release with Guerlain’s interwar design heritage, reminding collectors of the house’s long tradition of marrying utility with beauty in its bottle designs.
Sizes:
- Mould #15240 = 10cc/10ml/0.338 oz - 5.4cm/2.13" (May 1936, size reserved for export)
- Mould #15205 = 30cc/30ml/1 oz - 7.3cm/2.87" (March 1936, size reserved for export)
- Mould #15150 = 80cc/80ml/2.7 oz - 9.7cm/3.82" (Sept 1935-1943)
- Mould #15207 = 125cc/125ml/4.2 oz - 11.5cm/4.53" (March 1936, reissued in 1999 125ml/4.2 oz - 12cm/4.72" for Guet Apens)
- Mould #15209 = 250cc/250ml/8.4 oz - 14cm/5.51" (May 1936-1943)
Bottles:
Scents:
- Ambre
- Apres L'Ondee
- Cuir de Russie
- Gardenia
- Guerlinade
- Guet Apens (1999)
- Jasmin
- Jicky
- Kadine
- Lavande
- L'Heure Bleue
- Liu
- Mitsouko
- Pois de Senteur
- Rue de la Paix
- Sous le Vent
- Vega
- Verveine
- Violette
