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"Chypre," in French, refers to the island of Cyprus, birthplace of Venus, the legendary goddess of love. The name is appropriate because Chypre de Coty set the standard for a new type of fragrance, a category which we now refer to as "mossy-woody." The "mossy-woody" comes from oakmoss ... which comes from the island of Cyprus.
François Coty was not the first to associate the name Chypre with a fragrance. Guerlain's Chypre de Paris was introduced in 1909. Chypre d'Orsay was introduced in 1912, still five years ahead of Coty. Molinard's Le Chypre was introduced in 1925 at a time when Coty's Chypre already had tremendous traction.
Today we can find the name Chypre associated with fragrance marketers such as Vivienne, Scientex, Arys, Montale, E.N.Z., Peckinsniffs, and Patyke among others. But it is Chypre de Coty that is the classic and it is generally considered one of François Coty's greatest perfumes.
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Display Box for Coty's Chypre perfume |
Chypre de Coty was available for many years. The bottle, packaging and advertising shown here are from the 1930's. While time has passed and the perfume in the bottle has aged considerably, it still has a fragrance that helps us understand why François Coty was considered a genius as a perfumer. In spite of all that has come since, this fragrance continues to demonstrate a distinct originality.
If you look carefully at the design of the box to the right, you'll see that it spells out the name "Coty."
Notice the beautiful art deco design on the outer box below.
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Display Box for Coty's Chypre perfume. The design spells out the name "Coty." |
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For service to Napoleon Bonaparte during the unsuccessful Russian campaign, a Coty ancestor was given the title of baron and granted the crest which appears on the box at the left. The crest is in an oval shape with the eagle holding three balls in its talons.
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Outer Box for Coty's Chypre perfume showing detail of the crest awarded to a Coty ancestor by the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte |
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The advertising copy on the bottom of the Chypre de Coty box reads:
Parfum
Chypre de Coty
Cette spécialité et ses accessories - creations COTY ont été soumis au contrôle d'usage, qui en garantit la qualité irréprochable. Les matiéres premiéres qui entrent dans la composition de cette spécialité ont été selectionnées avec le plus grand soin, ce qui explique la finesse et la grande réputation des products Coty. Toutes nos spécialités sont vendues sous le nom propre de "COTY," sans aucun prénom.
The name "Coty", with a flourish, appears below.
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