A fabulous piece of cosmetic history! This is an art deco compact powder puff called the Houppette Pli, made in France in the late 1920s. Marked “Brevete PLI S.D.G.D. Made in France” and is a patented design attributed to Leon Svirsky and Alexandre Willk. The last image is an advertisement of other makeup compacts designed by Willk, including the Houppette Pli.
This innovative design allows for loose powder to be loaded into one end, which would make its way into the puff at the other end. From there, the foldable powder puff can pushed up for use — the feathers pop and open out with the help of wires that expand outwards when released like an umbrella — and then retracted neatly into its case when not. Perfect for looking good on the go! The case is made of an early plastic, in bright green color. The powder puff itself is made of swansdown. This item is in excellent condition considering its 100 years old, with just one wire missing when the puff is exposed, which make the puff a little lopsided, but doesn’t affect use or functionality. There is still some powder inside! Approx 3.25” long.
