21• Myrurgia Perfumer in Barcelona since 1916 - Baccarat Flacon Parfum

Trésors de la Parfumerie

Treasures of Perfumery

Myrurgia is a perfume company founded in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) in 1916 by Esteve Monegal y Prat. Myrurgia soon became an important player in the international perfume market, with products that were oriental ("Maderas de Oriente"), exotic Hispanic ("Maja") or even clearly hedonistic ("Orgía").

Monegal was concerned with quality in the presentation and advertising of his products. He collaborated with well-known artists such as Eduard Jener and Jacob Baron de Wilkinson. The poster for the perfume line "La Maja" is a design by the artist Eduard Jener, who was inspired by the dancer Carmen Tórtola Valencia and a photograph of her show La Tirana.

Myrurgia is housed in a building designed by Antonio Puig Gairalt (1930), one of the most outstanding examples of current Catalan rationalism, whose façade is decorated with a three-part bronze relief frieze by the Madrid sculptor Reste (Restituto Martín Gamo)

Regium, in Baccarat crystal, was launched at the opening of Myrurgia in Barcelona. It is one of the first Myrurgia bottles.

Myrurgia "Regium" 1917

The book "MYRURGIA Belleza y Glamour 1916-1936" traces the history of Myrurgia and the main actors present during this period.

Myrurgia Ambar, 1925

Julien Viard, Drawing of the box embossed designed by the sculptor Eduard Jener

Extrait du catalogue Myrurgia 1917

Catalogue page

from Verreries Viard, Violet Le Duc

Regium bottle top right.

Myrurgia Perfumery Company established in Barcelona, Spain in 1916, is a family business founded by the Monegal family. The company name Myrurgia was created from the Greek words for "essence" and "industry". Thanks to the combined efforts of wealthy chemical industrialist Raymond Monegal, his marketing skills and the artistic talents of his son, sculptor Esteve Monegal Prat, the Myrurgia company quickly became a great success. Esteve earned university degrees in Paris and Barcelona. Her training in perfumery in Grasse, then in Paris and at Firmenich in Geneva allowed her to develop the perfumes, soaps and other exquisite products of the company, which became very well known in Catalonia and particularly in Barcelona.

Myrurgia Powder box with Lily of the valley perfum

The box is rigid it is lined on the outside with real cashmere, inside in cream satin struck with Myrurgia gold. The powder cartridge is slipped into a satin purse with a sliding cord.

left: excerpt from the catalog Myrurgia 1917