Lipstick set for Agatha Christie herself – approx. 1946

According to the previous owner, this case was specially made for the writer Agatha Christie, who personally gave it as a gift to the mother of the current owner. A rare surviving ensemble of particular cultural and historical interest – an expression of the aesthetics and innovative spirit of the post-war era, when women reclaimed a touch of luxury and beauty in their everyday lives.

Presented in a high-quality, petrol-coloured leather case with gold-embossed lettering reading “AGATHA”, “Rye, New York” and “16 July 1946”. The set comprises six glass vials with gold-coloured caps, designed to hold various shades of lipstick. Some feature the original colour names such as “Scarlet Slipper”, “Pink Garter”, “Dynamite”, “Fatal Apple” and “Pink Lightning”. The set is complemented by a solid 14-carat gold lipstick case in the characteristic grooved design of that era.

The lipstick was kept in a small, matching leather case and was regarded as a stylish accessory that the elegant ladies of the time liked to carry in their handbags, often a Hermès bag.

• Date: c. 1946

• Lipstick tube alloy: 585/- 14-carat yellow gold

• Dimensions of lipstick: approx . 5.4 cm, Ø 1.2 cm

• Case: leather, velvet lining

• Case dimensions: approx. 17 × 9 cm

• Total gross weight of tube: 33 .4 g

The set will be auctioned in summer 2026 via Artcurial in Monaco