The representation of a scarlet rose bulb is reminiscent of the female symbol of the vulva of the vagina. It should be remembered that from the 18th century to the present day, the symbolism that associates female virginity with a floral imagination, and more particularly with the motif of the wilting rose, is omnipresent in literature and painting. This object is therefore a floral metaphor inherent in the term defloration. It is therefore easy to imagine that its maker saw it as a gift from a lover to his mistress after the completion of the sexual act; the rose having bloomed!

For more information, we refer the reader to the work of Pauline Mortas, PhD student in contemporary history (Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - Université Toulouse Jean-Jaurès) and to her online publication: “Des femmes et des fleurs, Représenter la perte de la virginité.” (Women and flowers, Representing the loss of virginity; November 16, 2019).

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Jean-François Bautte (1772-1837)

He became apprenticed in Geneva at the age of 12, learning the crafts of case-maker, engine-turner, watchmaker, jeweller, and gem-setter. He was barely nineteen years old when he signed his first watch. In 1797, Bautte took as partner the case-maker Moulinié; in 1804 they were joined by watchmaker Jean Gabriel Moynier, the name of the company becoming first Moulinié, Bautte & Co., then Moulinié, Bautte & Moynier. In the early 19th century, Bautte was Geneva’s most important dealer.