When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
🎭 CIRCA-1919 MARY GARDEN FOR RIGAUD POWDER COMPACT 🎭
A captivating survivor from the earliest years of luxury celebrity cosmetics: an antique brass single-face powder compact created for the Mary Garden line by the celebrated French perfume house Rigaud.
The lid resembles an oversized commemorative medallion, with a crisply embossed classical portrait surrounded by the inscription:
“MARY GARDEN — RIGAUD PARIS — PARFUMEUR”
The warm, naturally aged brass surface has developed a gorgeous, richly timeworn patina that beautifully emphasizes the raised portrait and AN EARLY CELEBRITY COSMETICS Garden (1874–1967) was an internationally renowned Scottish-American operatic soprano and one of the most celebrated performers of the early 20th century.
Rigaud introduced its Mary Garden fragrance and cosmetics line around 1910, making it one of the earliest true celebrity-endorsed beauty lines. The collection eventually included perfume, face powder, rouge and other fine toiletries marketed throughout Europe and North America.
Specialist compact references identify this 2½-inch single-face brass compact form as having been produced for Rigaud by the Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, around 1919.
Although the branding is French and reads “Rigaud Paris,” the brass compact case itself is attributed to American manufacture for Rigaud’s international cosmetics antique condition with beautifully developed patina and honest surface character from more than a century of age and use.
The embossed portrait and surrounding lettering remain strong, crisp and readily legible. The brass displays expected scratches, scuffs, spotting, oxidation, discoloration and finish wear. The underside retains a small rectangular remnant of old paper or adhesive. The interior shows dark spotting, cosmetic residue, oxidation and general age-related wear.
The hinge is strong, secure and free from observed damage. The compact opens and closes perfectly, and the closure functions properly.
IMPORTANT: This listing is for the EMPTY COMPACT CASE ONLY. The original mirror, powder or cosmetic refill, powder puff and any associated interior fittings are no longer present. The exposed reverse of the embossed lid is visible inside. Nothing other than the brass compact case shown in the photographs is included.
Please examine all photographs carefully. They show the exact compact being offered and form an important part of the condition Maker/Brand: Rigaud
• Product Line: Mary Garden
• Attributed Case Manufacturer: Scovill Manufacturing Company
• Date: Circa 1919
• Type: Single-face powder compact case
• Material: Brass
• Form: Round hinged compact
• Diameter: Approximately 2-1/2 inches
• Thickness when closed: Approximately 7/8 inch
• Weight: Approximately 34.29 grams / 1.21 ounces
• Contents: Empty; interior components are missing
• Compact Manufacture: United States
• Perfume House: Rigaud, Paris, France
• Original antique example—not a reproduction
An evocative piece of early cosmetics, perfume, opera and celebrity-advertising history—especially appealing for collectors of antique powder compacts, historic vanity accessories, French perfume memorabilia and early 20th-century beauty advertising.
📦 SHIPPING
• FREE USPS Ground Advantage within the United States
• Tracking included
• International shipping through ’s Global Shipping Program where available
• Carefully packaged to help ensure safe arrival
↩️ RETURNS
All sales are final unless the item has been grossly misrepresented. Please review the complete description and all photographs before purchasing.
