Fragment Of A Cluny Vase - Renée Lalique

Fragment of a slightly greyish colourless molded glass vase representing a stylized Medusa face with geometric features and almond-shaped eyes. This fragment comes from the Cluny vase, a model designed by René Lalique in 1925.

Made of molded and pressed smoked glass, the vase is distinguished by its globular body adorned with two female faces in relief, surmounted by a vertical motif evoking stylized bronze hair (complete vase in the last photos - Bonhams sale, May 13, 2004).

René Lalique (1860-1945), initially recognized as a major jeweler of Art Nouveau, turned his attention to glass from the 1910s onward. In the 1920s, he exploited molding and pressing techniques to produce pieces combining precision of design and formal rigor, situating his work within an approach that was both artistic and industrial.

The break, visible on the upper part, marks the separation at the location of the bronze hair that formed the connection with the neck of the original object. This model is particularly rare and sought after in René Lalique's glasswork.

Created in 1925, it was not reissued after 1947.

Bibliography: Félix Marcilhac, R. Lalique, catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre de verre, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2004. An identical model is reproduced on p. 430.