Legras & Cie. Montjoie, Saint Denis Glassworks. France, ca. 1905.
Pair of Art Nouveau vases.
Glass and enamel.
Measurements: 25.5 cm (height); 8.5 cm (largest diameter).
Pair of blown glass vases, glazed in green tones, circular in shape, hand-fired enamelled with floral decoration in various colours and gilding.
Legrás's favourite subjects are all varieties of chrysanthemums, lilies and orchids. He also made frosted vases. He practised all glass techniques and was a great admirer of Emile Gallé whom he tried to imitate in artistic pieces. Legras' artistic creations are not always signed, but their form often allows them to be recognised.
François-Théodore Legrás joined the glass factory near his native village as a clerk. This is where he learned his trade. At the age of 24, he left his native Vosges to go to work at the glass factory in La Plaine Saint-Denis , a suburb of the town of Saint Denis near Paris, where he was hired as a clerk. Six months later, he became production manager and in 1866, at the age of 27, he became director of the glass factory. He then built a new modern factory and a workers' estate which, over the years, became an industrial complex of almost 20,000 square metres. He became managing director of Legras et Cie, then of Verrerie et Cristallerie de Saint-Denis. He took part in numerous national and international exhibitions where he was often awarded prizes. He was also responsible for the glass and crystal part of the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1909, he handed over the management of his business to his nephew Charles Legras. From 1914, production changed style and was inspired by Art Deco, with a return to simple lines and a certain sobriety. Legras's production would be effective until 1928.