René Lalique: Glass vases
By Ineke Dane Geraldine Barlow
International galleries February 2024
René Lalique was both an avant-garde craftsman and astute industrialist. Originally trained as a jeweller, he discovered glass in the 1890s as a new medium to enhance his intricate designs. Lalique’s opalescent and luminous creations were highly influential in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements.
Lalique turned his focus to glassmaking almost exclusively in 1922, opening a glassworks in north-east France that still operates today. The factory allowed Lalique to recast his designs in a variety of colours and finishes, from translucent clear or blue-green glass to red and frosted grey. By the end of the 1920s, it was an epicentre of French decorative art, combining luxury decor and mass production.
Like many artists of the early twentieth century, Lalique had a great interest in Japanese culture, which was a formative influence on Art Nouveau. He subtly decorated his glass objects with natural Japanese-inspired motifs such as grasshoppers, birds and bending reeds of grass. Notable in the group on display is the Perruches (Parakeet) vase, designed in 1919, which shows Australian budgerigars — a fashionable pet among the French elite at the time – perched on flowering branches in a compressed composition, resulting in a delicate, interlocking pattern. This exemplifies the influence of Japanese tradition, adjusted to European tastes.
Connected objects
![Artwork Oval bowl this artwork made of Moulded opalescent glass with motif of interlocked circles, created in 1920-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/1993.320_001_4.jpg?itok=4_oz8GPO)
Oval bowl c.1920s
- CRISTALLERIE LALIQUE ET CIE - Manufacturer
- LALIQUE, René - Designer
![Artwork Vase: Malsherbe this artwork made of Mould blown grey glass with a design of acanthus leaves. Stained grey, created in 1920-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/1989.156_001_4.jpg?itok=koMwF00g)
Vase: Malsherbe c.1923
- CRISTALLERIE LALIQUE ET CIE - Manufacturer
- LALIQUE, René - Designer
![Artwork Druide vase this artwork made of Mould blown frosted and opalescent glass, created in 1924-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2018.027_001_3.jpg?itok=l6qSB_T8)
Druide vase designed 1924
- LALIQUE, René - Creator
![Artwork Serpent vase this artwork made of Dark amber frosted with moulded glass](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2019.131_001_4.jpg?itok=eVU0TzOx)
Serpent vase c.1924
- LALIQUE, René - Creator
![Artwork Beautreillis vase this artwork made of Mould blown opalescent glass with remnant blue patina, created in 1927-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2018.028_001_3.jpg?itok=SaankTd0)
Beautreillis vase designed 1927
- LALIQUE, René - Creator
![Artwork Oleron vase this artwork made of Mould blown frosted and clear glass with sepia patina, created in 1927-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2018.029_001_4.jpg?itok=1pyQj9DE)
Oleron vase designed 1927
- LALIQUE, René - Creator
![Artwork Vase: Ceylan this artwork made of Clear glass, mould-blown cylindrical shape, with a design of budgerigars, frosted finish and traces of blue staining, created in 1925-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/1991.126_001_4.jpg?itok=sPPU0Leg)
Vase: Ceylan c.1930
- CRISTALLERIE LALIQUE ET CIE - Manufacturer
- LALIQUE, René - Designer
![Artwork Davos vase this artwork made of Mould blown opalescent glass with blue patina, created in 1932-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/2018.030_001_3.jpg?itok=0gaaNJOC)
Davos vase designed 1932
- LALIQUE, René - Creator
![Artwork Vase: Biskra this artwork made of Mould blown blue glass with polished and matt finish, created in 1932-01-01](/index.php/system/files/styles/large/private/object-images/1995.071_001_4.jpg?itok=tHiP85WT)
Vase: Biskra 1932
- CRISTALLERIE LALIQUE ET CIE - Manufacturer
- LALIQUE, René - Designer
Related artists
LALIQUE, René
1860
- 1945
Full profile for LALIQUE, René
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