The Flacon République Etui Carré, which translates roughly as “Bottle for the Republic Square Case,” it refers to a flacon designed to fit into a square-shaped presentation case (étui carré). It is an early Guerlain design produced around 1840 and continuing in use for several decades. Crafted by Pochet et du Courval, the bottle was made in four sizes—2 ounces, 4 ounces, 6 ounces, and 8 ounces—and featured a molded Imperial coat of arms alongside the classic “femme drapeaux” motif, a decorative figure holding a banner that appears on many of Guerlain’s early bottles. Each bottle was fitted with a ground glass stopper, reflecting the standard closure technique of the period.
The square case (étui) protected the bottle and served as part of the luxury presentation, making it both practical and visually elegant. So essentially, République Etui Carré describes a bottle-and-box combination: a flacon designed specifically to sit in a square étui, often used for colognes, eaux de toilette, or distilled waters in the mid-19th century.
This flacon was highly versatile, used to contain a wide variety of Guerlain products, including colognes, eaux de toilette, and distilled waters. Notable examples include Eau de Verveine, Eau de Cologne Hégémonienne, Eau de Rose Distillée, Eau de Cologne Impériale, Eau de Cologne Russe, Neva, Bouquet Impérial, Do Brazil, Bouquet de l’Impératrice Eugénie, and Parfum Impérial, among others. Its continued use into the 1910s demonstrates the enduring practicality and aesthetic appeal of the design, which combined elegance, functionality, and a subtle reference to France’s imperial symbolism.
Sizes:
Pochet et du Courval produced four moulds:
- Mould #6660 = 61cc/61ml/2 oz - 9cm/3.54" (vers 1870)
- Mould #2570 = 122cc/122ml/4 oz - 11.5cm/4.53" (1840)
- Mould #2576 = 183cc/183ml/6 oz - 13.5cm/5.31" (1840 changed to 166cc/166ml/5.61 oz - 15.5cm/6.1")
- Mould #2578 = 244cc/244ml/8 oz - 17.5cm/6.89" (1840 changed to 332cc/332ml/11.23 oz - 19.5cm/7.68") 250cc/250ml/8.4 oz - 17.5cm/6.89"
Bottles:
Scents:
- Bouquet de France
- Bouquet de Paris
- Bouquet Do Brazil
- Bouquet Marechale Duchesse
- Bouquet Napoleon
- Bouquet Neva
- Bouquet de l'Imperatrice Eugenie
- Bouquet du Jardin Roi
- Bouquet Imperial
- Eau de Cologne Hegemonienne
- Eau de Cologne Imperiale
- Eau de Cologne Russe
- Eau de Rose Distillee
- Eau de Verveine
- E Pluribus Unum
- Fleurs Nouvelles
- Parfum Imperial
- Veritable eau de Cologne impériale
