Lightyears Collection
Coeur Joie
Nina Ricci
(1946)

Paris had been liberated, hearts were happy, and Robert Ricci decided that the Nina Ricci enterprise should branch out into perfume. Going to the fragrance house of Roure-Bertrand-Dupont for his first perfume, he was placed in the hands of perfumer Germaine Cellier who had, two years earlier, created Bandit for Robert Piguet.

The bottle for Coeur Joie was done by Marc Lalique, a childhood friend of Robert Ricci. In the years which followed, Lalique was the major (exclusive ?) source of bottles for Nina Ricci.

The illustration on the box was by artist Christian Bérard.

Coeur Joie is said to have been a bouquet of sweet-smelling flowers. Sadly, our bottle was empty when we obtained it. It can be said, however, that Coeur Joie launched the house of Nina Ricci on a very successful journey into perfume.

• The original design for "Coeur Joie", 04/26/2007.