Madhva - Parfums des Divinites de l'Inde

Madhva, subtitled Parfums des Divinités de l'Inde, was a French perfume house established in 1923 by Daniel Jacquet, who had earlier founded Fontanis in 1919. The name Madhva is derived from Sanskrit—Mādhva (pronounced MAA-dhvuh)—and refers to a follower of Madhvacharya, a 13th-century Indian philosopher and theologian who founded the Dvaita (dualist) school of Vedanta. The term carries spiritual and philosophical connotations rooted in Indian religious tradition, and its use here reflects the early 20th-century French fascination with Orientalist themes, particularly India’s mysticism and divine iconography.

To help establish a cohesive and exotic brand identity, Madhva Perfumes retained Polish artist and illustrator Alexandre Rzewuski, who was responsible for naming the fragrances and creating their visual presentation. Rzewuski selected evocative and exotic names for each perfume, reinforcing the Indian theme suggested by the brand's subtitle. He collaborated with renowned French designer Julien Viard in designing all five of the perfume presentations. Viard, celebrated for his work in luxury flacon design during the Art Deco era, worked alongside Baccarat, which produced all of the bottles for Madhva. These bottles are characterized by their intricate craftsmanship and elegance, consistent with Baccarat’s high standard of glass artistry.

The firm appears to have gone out of business by around 1931, which is the last year in which advertisements for Madhva perfumes are known to have appeared in contemporary newspapers. Today, Madhva remains largely unknown to the general public, surviving mainly in the memories of dedicated collectors and historians of early 20th-century perfumery. Any surviving Madhva perfume, particularly with its original Baccarat flacon and presentation, is considered highly collectible and rare—treasured not only for the fragrance itself but also for the artistry of its bottle and branding.

Parfums Fontanis

Parfums Fontanis was established in 1919 by Daniel Jacquet, a French entrepreneur with a refined artistic vision for luxury perfumery. The company operated out of 38 boulevard de la Saussaye in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a prestigious suburb just west of Paris, known for its elegant residential character. Jacquet, who would later found the exotic-inspired perfume house Madhva in 1923, launched Fontanis as a more traditionally French perfumery, offering both perfumes and cosmetics to an upscale clientele during the post–World War I era of revived Parisian elegance.

Though Fontanis produced several fragrances and personal care products during its brief existence, its tenure in the competitive French perfume market was relatively short. By 1927, the company was absorbed by the renowned perfume house Volnay, a move that reflected broader industry consolidations during a decade marked by both innovation and instability in luxury goods. Fontanis’s final two known perfumes—Prélude and Blue Îles—were developed in association with Volnay, suggesting that Volnay may have taken over the creative direction or distribution of the remaining Fontanis stock as part of the acquisition.

Despite its brief operation, Parfums Fontanis represents a significant stepping stone in Daniel Jacquet’s career. The experience he gained in managing a perfume and cosmetics house—its marketing, aesthetics, and product development—directly influenced the formation of Madhva, a much more elaborate and artistically ambitious venture launched just four years later. Today, Fontanis is largely forgotten outside of specialist circles, but its association with both Jacquet and Volnay places it within the larger story of early 20th-century French perfumery—a period marked by bold creativity, expanding internationalism, and the elevation of perfume as both luxury and art.