Background
Matchabelli was born in Tiflis, Georgia, then part of Imperial Russia.
Matchabelli was born in Tiflis, Georgia, then part of Imperial Russia.
He studied in Tiflis and later in Berlin as an engineer
This article is about the person. Foreign the perfume line he founded, see Prince Matchabelli. A Georgian nobleman and diplomat, he immigrated to the United States after the 1921 Soviet invasion of Georgia.
The Committee intended to garner the German support for Georgia"s struggle for independence from the Russian Empire.
In 1917 Matchabelli married Norina Gilli (born in Florence, Italy) who had become famous for her portrayal of the Madonna in Max Reinhardt"s unique 1911 pantomime spectacle play The Miracle. He briefly served as part of the embassy of the Democratic Republic of Georgia to Italy.
Norina designed the crown shaped perfume vial in the likeness of the Matchabelli crown and in 1926 the scent "Avenue Maria" was named for her. The company became known for color-coded, crown-shaped bottles that housed such classics as Wind Song, Avenue Maria, and Princess Norina.
The Matchabellis divorced in 1933.
From 1932 until his death, Matchabelli also served as President of the Georgian Association in the United States. Georges died in New York City in 1935 and was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Queens, New New York In 1936, Norina sold the company to perfume manufacturer Saul Ganz for $250,000.
He was one of the founding members of the Committee of Independent Georgia organized in Berlin in 1914.