Amalric Walter (1870–1959) And Henri Bergé (1870–1937) - L’hermine

The Ermine

Design created around 1908; produced by Amalric Walter in Nancy, around 1920.

A significant polychrome pâte de verre sculpture depicting an ermine on a rectangular rock-like base, crafted from pale yellow translucent glass, subtly nuanced with shades of green, brown, and purple.

The animal is depicted with an arched body and raised tail, reflecting the naturalistic observation characteristic of Henri Bergé’s sculptural creations.

Signatures: “H Bergé Sc” and “A Walter Nancy” on the base.

Dimensions: 11 × 25 × 9 cm.

Amalric Walter was one of the leading French masters of pâte de verre during the Art Nouveau period. His collaboration with Henri Bergé, chief designer at the Daum factory, gave rise to an important series of naturalistic models dedicated to flora and fauna, associated with the École de Nancy.

The Ermine belongs to this well-documented collection of sculptural creations and illustrates Amalric Walter’s masteryAmalric Walter’s mastery in achieving delicate color gradations within pâte de verre.

• Édith Mannoni, *Les Pâtes de Verres, autour de Daum et Gallé*, Éditions Charles Massin, 1996, p. 90, model reproduced.

• Noël Daum, *La Pâte de Verre*, Éditions Denoël, 1984, p. 105, no. 123, model reproduced.

• Daum in the Museums of Nancy, p. 44, no. 33, a composition featuring a similar ermine motif.

A related composition dating from the Daum period, titled “Ermine Ring Holder,” is held in the collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, under inventory number 83.1.26.

In very good condition.

We invite collectors to carefully examine the detailed photographs to assess the sculpture’s current condition.