René Lalique

Private European Collection
Acquired from the above by the present owner, circa 2000

Félix Marcilhac, René Lalique, 1860-1945: maître-verrier: analyse de l'oeuvre et catalogue raisonné, Paris, 2011, p. 442

Overall in very good condition. The glass with a few air bubbles and minor particulate inclusions inherent in the making and not visually distracting. A few faint and minor grey surface marks near the legs of one of the female forms, the longest of which is approximately 1 inch, not visually distracting, and could be removed with professional attention. There appears to be an irregularity to the interior rim, which is thicker on one side. The underside of the base with scattered minor surface scuffs and scratches. The signature appears to be later. An exquisite and extremely rare design by this master glass maker.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Although he had already established a career as a maker of brilliantly crafted Art Nouveau jewelry by the turn of the 20th Century, René Lalique began to develop and hone his work with glass as his main medium in the early 1900s. These years saw Lalique transition from working with metal and enamel to experimenting with mold-blown and press-molded glass, while still retaining the organic, naturalistic forms present in his earlier work. Along with glass objects ranging from perfume bottles and jardinières to ceiling lamps and tables, Lalique was prolific in his production of an array of vases for which he became best known. Following the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs, the vases that Lalique created featured an encyclopedic variety of botanic, animal, human, and abstract forms which came to define the Art Deco visual aesthetic.

The “Luxembourg” model reveals Lalique’s total mastery of both the molded glass process and the visionary imagination with which he animated his vases. From a technical perspective, the production of such an elaborate form on this grand scale was a tour-de-force and of immense challenge.  The model is the largest vase that Lalique fabricated, and the present vase is one of only three examples known to exist today, its rarity suggestive of its challenging execution. Specially made for exhibition purposes, this monumental form exquisitely showcases semi-abstracted female figures that demonstrate the glassmaker’s evolution to the more repetitive and symmetrical representation of motifs in his work. This stylistic change is indicative of Lalique’s ability to grow artistically over the span of decades and adapt to changing tastes while still remaining an established and internationally renowned master of design and decorative arts.