Daum Nancy – Vase Decorated With Violets And Gold Accents

Daum Nancy – Single-flower vase with violet decoration and gold accents, circa 1900

An elegant single-flower vase in multilayered glass, signed Daum Nancy, decorated with blue and mauve violets accompanied by green foliage and accented with delicate gold ornamentation at the base.

This piece stands out for its slender and refined silhouette, featuring a generously rounded pear-shaped body that extends into a long, narrow neck. The composition is balanced by a small circular pedestal, adorned with a gold decoration featuring curved and symmetrical lines, which elegantly highlights the base of the vase.

The opalescent glass, with delicate shades of pearly white and very pale green, highlights the violets depicted in full bloom. Their finely detailed blue-violet petals stand out against the green leaves and slender stems. The floral design seems to emerge from the glass itself, while variations in transparency and texture lend the piece a subtle depth.

The gold highlights add a touch of luxury to this naturalistic composition. They contrast with the freshness of the floral colors and reflect the era’s taste for decorative objects that combine refined design, rich materials, and elegant finishes.

The Daum Manufactory: A Leading Name in Art Nouveau

Founded in Nancy in 1878 by Jean Daum, the Daum Manufactory became, under the leadership of his sons Auguste and Antonin, one of the leading names in French artistic glass. Starting in 1891, the establishment of an artistic department fostered the creation of ambitious decorative pieces, inspired in particular by flora and fauna.

The company was fully immersed in the Art Nouveau movement, which placed nature at the heart of artistic creation. Its glassmakers explored the possibilities of multilayered glass, acid etching, enameling, and colored powders to produce particularly refined effects of depth and texture.

Daum’s floral creations reflect this constant exploration. Flowers are not merely reproduced as decorative motifs: they become the central subject of a composition in which glass, light, and color all contribute to the artistic expression.

The Violet: Delicacy and Floral Symbolism

The violet was a particularly popular flower in late 19th-century decorative art. Its small corolla, delicate petals, and shades ranging from blue to violet made it an ideal subject for Art Nouveau glassmakers.

In the traditional language of flowers, it evokes modesty, fidelity, and discreet feelings. Its delicate appearance contrasts with the richness of its hues, offering artists a motif that is both poetic and expressive.

At Daum, this type of floral design showcases the possibilities of colored glass and the subtleties of engraving. The violets on this single-flower vase thus embody an aesthetic where careful observation of nature is combined with refined decorative artistry.

A piece emblematic of the Nancy style

With its single-flower vase format, violet motif, and gold highlights, this vase exemplifies the elegance of Daum’s floral creations around 1900. Its slender silhouette is designed to hold a single flower, while also serving as a decorative object in its own right.