Pair Of Pink "romeo" Vases. C. Graffart - R. Delvenne. Art Deco, Circa 1935. Val Saint Lambert

Pair of "Roméo" vases – Val Saint Lambert – Charles Graffart & René Delvenne – Art Deco

A rare pair of “Roméo” vases produced by the Val Saint Lambert Crystalworks, based on a design by Charles Graffart and René Delvenne, leading figures in the Art Deco revival at the Liège-based manufacturer in the 1930s.

Pressed/molded glass in a beautiful pale pink hue, with the clean, geometric lines characteristic of the Art Deco style. The presence of fine bubbles within the glass, visible in the last photograph, attests to an old-fashioned, artisanal manufacturing process—a guarantee of authenticity for this historic model from the Luxval line.

Specifications:

• Height: 22 cm
• Pair of matching vases
• Pale pink tinted pressed glass
• Condition: perfect, no chips or cracks
• Bubbles in the glass, see last photo (sign of traditional craftsmanship)
• Signature: Val Saint Lambert molded into the glass.
• Period: Art Deco, circa 1935.

An elegant collector’s piece with a timeless design that will fit equally well in both Art Deco and contemporary interiors.

Charles Graffart (1893–1967)

A master engraver and designer, Charles Graffart joined the Val Saint Lambert Crystal Works, where he became one of the leading figures in the factory’s artistic revival during the interwar period. As early as 1925, he actively participated in the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where Val Saint Lambert presented some sixty deeply cut pieces, fully in keeping with the spirit of the new Art Deco style. In the early 1930s, as the economic crisis took a heavy toll on the production of cut crystal—which was more expensive—Graffart collaborated with René Delvenne to launch the Luxval line (1934), a range of decorative pressed glass in the Art Deco style. His work, which blended the tradition of crystal cutting with modern forms, had a profound impact on Val Saint Lambert’s identity in the 20th century.

René Delvenne (1901–1968)

A professor at the Val Saint Lambert Crystalworks School of Design, René Delvenne played a decisive role in the factory’s stylistic evolution during the 1930s. Faced with competition from Czechoslovakian cast glass, he worked alongside Charles Graffart to create the Luxval line, officially launched on April 15, 1934. Many of their designs, often given evocative names, have become iconic examples of Val Saint Lambert’s Art Deco repertoire and remain highly sought after by collectors today.