DAUM. Nancy, France, ca.1910.
Large vase. Model "Dragonflies".
Cameo glass.
Signed "Daum Nancy, France" and cross of Lorraine.
Hair on one side.
Measurements: 19 x 14,5 x 14,5 cm.
This big vase has been made in cameo glass, with representation of dragonflies and foliage in different shades of green and yellow. It has a cylindrical body, with refined and elegant shapes. Stylistically, it is a transitional piece between Art Nouveau and Deco. The Daum manufacture was founded at the end of the 19th century by Augustin Daum (1853-1909) from a small family glassworks in Nancy. He was joined by his brother Antonin (1864-1931), and the Daum workshops soon became a meeting place and training ground for many young artists, who gave impetus to the Art Nouveau style in Nancy. At first they made ordinary glass, but in 1891 they decided to open a decorative workshop and to embark on artistic production, probably as a result of the success of Émile Gallé (1846-1904) at the 1889 Exhibition. During the First World War, the factory closed, but resumed production after the war, adapting to the change in aesthetics and leaving behind the modernism of its first period. During the Art Nouveau period, most of Daum's pieces were made of acid-etched cameo glass, but with the new Art Deco style, new techniques and decorative styles were investigated.