Boadicea the Victorious Boadicea Glorious

The Bottle

Boadicea Glorious changes the familiar knotwork centre for a star-like interlaced design, giving the rounded bottle a more decanter-like character. The amber-coloured body, dark cap and silver-and-black plaque create a strong ceremonial contrast, while the clear lower section lightens the broad outline. It’s unapologetically grand, and anyone who prefers quiet packaging will probably find it excessive. I like that the central emblem has a clear point of view, though. This feels more individual than a standard bottle dressed up with decoration.

Original or Clone

The bottle alone gives Boadicea Glorious a strong case: its rounded, plaque-front design is distinctive enough to matter when the original is set beside an interpretation. Only one interpretation from one house is tracked, so this is a narrow field rather than a crowded challenge. Christian Provenzano is credited as perfumer, giving the woody, fruity and sweet fragrance a named act of composition. On these grounds, the original is the more compelling purchase, while the interpretation remains a reasonable alternative for readers unconcerned with that authorship and object.