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an image of a gold ring with a white feather on top of ita small glass bottle with a metal lid on a white surfacea small glass bottle with a metal lid on a white surfacea close up of a person ' s hand holding a ring with an owl on ita close up of a ring with an owl face on ita small glass bottle with a gold cap on a white surfacea glass bottle with a gold cap on a white tablea close up of a brass object with the word naval written on it
BOISGIRARD - ANTONINI

302 - ‘OWL’ BOTTLE
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Estimate €1,200 - €1,500
Sale commission
Description
‘OWL’ BOTTLE Attributed to Paul Robin for Ravaut A cylindrical perfume (or smelling salts) bottle in cut crystal with twisted flutes, with a gold mount and stopper; the lid features a finely chiselled owl’s head, the eyes formed from tiger’s-eye cabochons encircled by rose-cut diamonds, and the eyebrows set with diamonds. The lid ensures the bottle is airtight thanks to an ingenious mechanism. Marked ‘Ravaut’ on the inside of the lid. 18-carat gold, owl hallmark (guarantee of goldwork). Despite the absence of a French hallmark, the bottle is attributable to Paul Robin for Charles Ravaut. Prosper-Paul Robin (born in 1843), who was based at the Palais-Royal and later at 160 Rue Montmartre, ran the family business until around 1914 (when it was sold to Émile Simon). Documented by Henri Vever in *La Bijouterie française au XIXe siècle*, he had specialised in the owl motif, featuring in brooches, rings, cufflinks and bracelets, with eyes of iridescent quartz encircled by diamonds. The firm of Charles Ravaut, a jeweller at 15 Rue de la Paix in Paris (documented as early as 1864 by evidence given in 1887 in the Seillière case, a neighbour of Guerlain and mentioned by Edmond de Goncourt in his *Journal*), was taken over by Lacloche Frères in 1901. Circa 1885. Height: 7.6 cm — Gross weight: 61.75 g. Condition: one diamond is missing from an eyebrow. Bibliography: H. Vever, *La Bijouterie française au XIXe siècle*, Paris, 1908, vol. III, p. 522, which reproduces an ‘owl’ brooch by Paul Robin.
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About the sale Charity sale in aid of the Petits Frères Des Pauvres charity
Auction location
Auction time 10/25/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits:
Boisgirard Antonini
See original version (French)
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