Daum Nancy – Diabolo Vase With Violet Design

Daum Nancy – Diabolo vase with violet decoration, circa 1900

An elegant, multi-layered glass vase in the diabolo shape, signed Daum Nancy, decorated with blue and purple violets on an opalescent white and purplish background, intricately crafted and subtly enhanced with polychrome enamels.

This elegant piece is distinguished by its slender silhouette, characteristic of the diabolo shape: a flared neck that gradually tapers toward a narrow waist before flaring out into a circular base. This fluid and balanced design gives the vase a sculptural presence, while highlighting the delicacy of its floral decoration.

The glass body, with its cloudy shades of opalescent white and violet, evokes a misty atmosphere against which the blooming violets stand out. The corollas, delicately rendered in blue-violet tones, are accompanied by slender stems and generously shaped green leaves. The design extends all the way to the base, where the botanical motifs harmoniously follow the curves of the vase.

Glasswork that emphasizes relief and texture

The appeal of this piece lies in the treatment of the design and in the contrast between the frosted background, the violet hues, and the floral motifs. Resist etching with acid brings out the forms in the glass, while enamel highlights lend the flowers their rich colors.

Unlike some of Daum’s creations, which are richly adorned with gilding, this vase favors a more naturalistic style. Gilding, used sparingly, allows the glass itself and the relief of the flowers to take center stage. This choice highlights the petals, leaves, and shades of the background without distracting from the floral composition.

The absence of abundant gilding is therefore not a lack of ornamentation: it contributes to the work’s aesthetic balance. Color, relief, and transparency are sufficient to create an expressive composition in which the flowers seem to emerge from the glass.

Daum Nancy: Excellence in Art Nouveau Glasswork

Founded in Nancy in 1878 by Jean Daum, the Daum factory became, under the leadership of his sons Auguste and Antonin, one of France’s leading houses of artistic glass. In 1891, Antonin Daum established an artistic department dedicated to the creation of ambitious decorative pieces, inspired in particular by flora and fauna.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the factory explored various techniques: multilayered glass, acid etching, enameling, and polychrome decoration. These processes made it possible to create effects of depth, varied textures, and floral compositions of great finesse.

Daum’s aesthetic is fully in line with Art Nouveau, a movement that places nature at the center of artistic creation. Vital plant forms, organic silhouettes, and harmonious color schemes became the essential elements of a decorative language in which the object’s function was combined with genuine artistic ambition.

The violet: an iconic flower in the language of flowers

A small flower with delicate petals, the violet held a cherished place in the decorative arts of the Belle Époque. Its shades ranging from blue to violet, combined with the freshness of its foliage, offered glassmakers a subject particularly well-suited to the chromatic explorations of Art Nouveau.

In traditional floral symbolism, it represents, among other things, modesty, fidelity, and discreet feelings. Its presence on this vase enhances the composition’s poetic character: a delicate natural beauty, expressed through subtle colors rather than excessive ornamentation.

A collector’s piece

With its diabolo shape, opalescent marbled base, and violet motif, this vase exemplifies the refinement of Nancy glassmaking around 1900. The understated use of gilding allows the colors and reliefs to shine through, giving the piece a natural elegance.