This Rene Lalique Video was set to great music, and is comprised of a series of still shots of a large number of pieces, many unique! The creator moved the camera around and zoomed in and out to create the feeling of movement. Overall, for both the objects and the music, it’s worth the relaxing 4 minutes play time for admirers of the works of the great Rene Lalique!
Rene Lalique Fountain Statue: An R Lalique Pigeon! Is this Lalique Glass Bird For The Birds?
November 4th, 2009
Rene Lalique Pigeon Statue From A Fountain! A Lalique Glass Big Bird!
An apparently surviving Rene Lalique statue likely from a long ago disassembled fountain that once occupied a roundabout intersection on the Champs Elysées in Paris has appeared at auction. An R Lalique Bird so rare, it is not shown in the Catalogue Raisonne (except in a photo of the fountain) even as a drawing; though the mate to this bird, the head down pigeon does appear as a drawing in the Catalogue. See page 871 of the 2004 edition.
The R Lalique Art Deco style Pigeon is quite large, measuring 35 cm in length and 22 cm high.
The Pigeon fountain element has damage to the base that attached it to its original resting place, but otherwise, seems in pretty good shape from the detailed photos provided by the seller.
Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 170399426823 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
Might be worth taking a flyer** at the current price of around $1140, and maybe some distance north of that amount as well. 🙂 As usual, check it out and satisfy yourself before bidding, not just on the piece, but on the terms (a big bird for international shipping that won’t fly itself to your house)! See our Rene Lalique Auction Buyers Guide for extensive details on bidding at auctions!
We’ve listed this bird in the Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide section here on the website. And of course, the out of print and extremely hard to find R.Lalique Catalogue Raisonne is available in the Rene Lalique Books and Library section.
Leave it to the great Rene Lalique to create a pigeon covered fountain that is not also covered by the mess!
* The expression “For The Birds”, also “That’s For The Birds”, and the even more emphatic “Strictly For The Birds”, is an American expression that has not caught on elsewhere. The earliest records of it are from the mid 1940’s, being used as a slang in the US Military! The expression indicates something that is meaningless or worthless, something for gullible people.
** The expression “Take a Flyer” is a mainly American and British expression that means: Take a chance!
Rene Lalique Sales Results For R Lalique Glass At Sothebys London Are Strong
October 29th, 2009
Lalique Sales Results for Rene Lalique Glass at Sothebys London Auction on October 27th represented another in a great season of Lalique Auctions results for the works of the great Rene Lalique. The three high quality R Lalique Auction offerings made a total with buyer’s premium of £246,850 or about $415,000 in U.S. dollars at today’s exchange rates, against total pre-sale estimates of £125,000 to £190,000.
First lot to sell was the Motif Decoratif Deux Perruches. A large, over 50 cm display piece, it sold for £46,850 all-in against a wide but cautious pre-sale estimate of £15,000 to £25,000. The catalogue raisonne notes that this creation was intended to be part of a fountain that was never constructed. The appeal of this great motif is not just its classic Rene Lalique Perruches design, but also that it has an appeal as a decoratif object of great scope and presence to a wide audience far larger than just R Lalique collectors.
Next was the great decanter Oreilles Gravees (oreilles literally means “ears”) which sold all-in for £12,500 against an accurate pre-sale estimate of £10,000 to £15,000. There is a famous photo in the catalogue raisonne showing two of these early Rene Lalique Decanters, one at each end of a mantel. This example was reported to be characterized by extremely heavy thick glass, almost folded over inside the vase. A great insight into early Rene Lalique glassmaking.
The final R Lalique item was the vase Deux Cigales, thought to be unique, and formerly owned by Lalique Perfume authors Glen and Mary Lou Utt. We wrote about this great Lalique Vase when the Sothebys sale was first announced. The pre-sale estimate was £100,000 to £150,000, which was exceeded by the final all-in price of £187,500, or over $300,000 U.S. A great Lalique auction result.
In addition to the great results, several readers of RLalique.com reported that their experience at Sothebys in viewing and handling the three items was extremely satisfactory, with knowledgeable senior staff and specialists in attendance to answer questions and provide information, including a great willingness to accommodate serious potential bidders at times outside the scheduled previews. And of course Sothebys heard from runner-up and high bidders alike, what auction houses around the world are hearing when they sell the works of the great Rene Lalique: “I saw it at RLalique.com!”
We’ve posted these results on the Rene Lalique Vase Deux Cigales page in the R Lalique Auctions Past section of RLalique.com.
Lalique Jewelry: Rene Lalique Jewelry Makes For Great Lalique Auction Results at Christies
October 26th, 2009
The Rene Lalique Jewelry at Christies New York on October 21st consisted of five lots of jewelry, (including the great hair comb shown here) and the Lalique Religious Chalice we discussed in an earlier report. All unique and original works of Rene Lalique, with mid-range estimates averaging nearly $250,000 for the six great pieces!
All six sold at the auction, for a total including premium of $1,778,750 or just a hair (comb) under an average price of $300,000!
Speaking of hair combs, the great looking Rene Lalique Hair Comb described as “Art Nouveau Horn and Enamel” was first on the auction block. Against an estimate of $18,000 to $20,000, it made a premium inclusive estimate crushing $92,500! This writer does not have enough hair to even need a comb, else the bidding likely would have continued even past that point 🙂
Second up was the Rene Lalique Brooch featuring “two carved ivory bathers” in high relief”. The brooch made roughly double it’s $20,000 to $30,000 estimate, finding a home at a premium inclusive $56,250 total price.
As things would have it, these great Lalique pieces were just the appetizer, as the main course, high seller of the Rene Lalique pieces, and the piece that has graced the home page here at RLalique.com for the last several weeks, was next to sell.
It was ” AN ART NOUVEAU MULTI-GEM AND ENAMEL PENDANT NECKLACE, BY RENE LALIQUE The openwork oval-shaped enamel pendant, depicting Sarah Bernhardt as Mélissande in La Princesse Lointaine, walking through the woods with her dog, within a sculpted 18k gold leaf frame, set along one side with three old European-cut diamonds, suspending a drop-shaped amethyst, within a sculpted gold surround, to the gold fine link neckchain, mounted in 18k gold, circa 1898, 24 ins., with French assay mark, in a Lalique green leather fitted case”.
Quite a pendant it was; a tour de force of the techniques, talent and subject matter of Rene Lalique. To further entice buyers, it sold with a book that had some relevance to the entire story of Rene Lalique. The book was described as follows: ” … accompanied by a beige leather-bound copy of the script of La Princesse Lointaine, a gift to Sarah Bernhardt from Edmond Rostand, the front decorated with a gold and silver-topped gold lily stalk, the blossoms set with rose-cut diamonds and cabochon citrines, the sculpted gold foliate clasp set with garnets, peridots, tourmalines and amethyst, mounted in gold, 1895, 5½ x 8 ins., in an Edmond Rostand black leather case Pendant signed Lalique for René Lalique, script signed by Edmond Rostand.”
Sarah Benrhardt, Rene Lalique, Edmond Rostand, Paris 1895, art, art nouveau, jewelry, theatre; it was enough to entice any aficionado of the period and the subject. The pendant was the high seller of the Lalique pieces, outselling even the boxed suite to come, and making a premium inclusive total price of $554,500 against a spot-on estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.
The fourth Lalique lot to appear was a dog collar: “AN ART NOUVEAU ENAMEL AND DIAMOND DOG COLLAR, BY RENE LALIQUE Designed as a rectangular openwork panel depicting two light blue enamel revelers playing their pipes, with dark blue enamel tree branches and old mine and rose-cut diamond leaves, mounted in 18k gold, circa 1900”. Now who’s dog wouldn’t need a collar like this for those special occasions. Seriously, every dog has it’s day, and so apparently does every dog collar! This collar made $446,500 against a wide but conservative pre-sale estimate of $150,000 to $250,000.
Number five on the R Lalique list, was the set of jewelry described as follows: “A SUITE OF ART NOUVEAU DIAMOND, STAR SAPPHIRE AND ENAMEL “THISTLE” JEWELRY, BY RENE LALIQUE Comprising a necklace, designed as a latticework of dark blue, lavender and pink textured enamel thistle motifs, enhanced by single and rose-cut diamond leaves and thorns, with geometric dark blue enamel detail, the center plaque and clasp set with an oval star sapphire; a bracelet and brooch en suite, mounted in 18k gold, circa 1900, necklace 14¾ ins., bracelet 6½ ins., with French assay marks and maker’s marks, (necklace may also be worn as two bracelets, 7¼ ins. each), in a R. Lalique blue leather fitted case”. What a great lot: an original set of matched jewelry from the great Rene Lalique! Against an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000, it sold for $482,500 including premium. A “sweet” set of jewelry it was!
Last but not least of the works of Lalique was the great Rene Lalique Religious Chalice we previously wrote about: “AN ART NOUVEAU IVORY, GOLD AND ENAMEL CHALICE, BY RENE LALIQUE The white, brown and beige enamel and gold base, depicting scrolling vines and leaves, extending an ivory stem, the base set with nine seated sculpted ivory worshipers in painted black robes, to the gold cup decorated with a series of eight white enamel Apostles, with white enamel ferns and scrolling vine detail, circa 1903-1905, 12½ x 8¼ ins., in a Lalique black leather fitted case”. The chalice, having a much narrower appeal than the typical jewelry items, was the only one of the six items failing (barely) to make the low estimate, yet selling for a great price of $146,500 against the estimated $150,000 to $250,000.
See more Rene Lalique Religion related items, or more Rene Lalique Jewelry sales.
A jewel of a sale for the “inventor of modern jewelry”, whose great unique artwork in all mediums from glass to jewelry are in high demand over 100 years after their creation. You can read more about Lalique at our Rene Lalique Biography page, and of course, you will find many fabulously illustrated jewelry reference items including a great Rene Lalique Hair Comb Exhibition Book in our library section on Rene Lalique Books & Catalogues From Modern Exhibitions.
Rene Lalique Boxes: Lalique Box Deux Sirenes – A Large Opalescent Lalique Glass Box at Auction
October 26th, 2009
A nice looking Lalique Box, the large Rene Lalique Deux Sirenes Covered Box in Opalescent Glass has appeared online at a starting price of only $24.99 and no reserve. This is the 10 inch large round box with a glass base.
The highly rated San Diego seller states: “CONDITION: In excellent condition with no chips, cracks or nicks of any kind. See photos for details of glass. I would be happy to email additional, larger photos.” There are lots of large detailed photos in the ad, and reasonable US shipping of $35.
This is a classic Lalique design with Lalique’s signature opalescent glass, in the always popular all glass large R Lalique box model. Seems it might be worth a look!
The auction ends November 1st. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 120484545658 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
You can also find this box on our R Lalique Auctions page, or in the Auctions Past section after it’s over, along with lots of other great R Lalique auction items from across the globe.
Rene Lalique Auctions: Lalique Antiques Online
October 24th, 2009
Rene Lalique glass (and a book!) at fair prices and no reserves online got our attention this week, and we thought we’d share our observations on a few of these current R Lalique antiques auctions with you.
Note: This page was updated on December 31, 2009 to change the links to the Ebay items from the actual listings to cached/saved copies of those listings. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
First up, a silver rimmed Lalique Veronique Opalescent Bowl, #397. These silver rims were added post factory to pieces both in the period and as recently as yesterday :). Two reasons of course. First is decorative and personal preference, maybe a retailer enhancement (we know that sounds like three reasons but it’s really only one if you think about it). Second is to cover up damage and restore the usability of a piece. We always look at these with great caution, but the concept is found attractive by many potential buyers and silver rimmed items are saleable barring other problems. This is a good looking, somewhat opalescent bowl, in apparent good condition, and hardly seems a risk at the current price of around $125 U.S. dollars. The auction ends October 25th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 180421636980 listing online.
Next up is a piece that every time we see it, we think about the old Superman TV show in black and white seen on the nearly round TV screens of the early 60’s ….. it’s a vase, it’s stemware, it’s a chalice …… no, it’s a bowl (it’s also a stretch, but it did come to mind)! The Saint Denis bowl #388, in apparent good condition (the seller notes the bowl is slightly cloudy), black enamel on the stem, and under $10 to start with no reserve. Hmmmm. Hard to pass up. If you were wondering, Saint Denis is now basically engulfed as a suburb of Paris. The cathedral there is rich in history, being famous as the place where French Queens were crowned, and French Kings were buried! Are these two things related? The auction ends October 28th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 290362239638 listing online.
Third on the list is the early, smaller (300 pages or so) edition of Lalique Par Lalique, 1977. $9.99 no reserve, with dustcover, in good condition, and $6 shipping in the US. Seems it would be cheap as chips, if it were in Britain of course. Oh …. and signed by someone (see photo)! If your name is Dick, this has to be hard to pass up. 🙂 The auction ends October 27th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 170397120939 listing online.
Fourth on the list is the Rene Lalique Vase Myrrhis, a rare and not so great looking vase (opinions vary), but if you buy by the pound or the inch, a bargain at it’s current price of $160 and no reserve. And to be fair, a bargain for however you buy if you can get it near this price. The auction ends October 28th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 130339068924 listing online.
Last in our wrap-up is an Souris Mouse Cendrier Ashtray in opalescent glass. In pretty good shape, there may be a small chip on the nose (better than a big chip on the shoulder of course), but the starting price of 1 Brit Pound, and the current price of around 27 Pounds, seems to more than take a minor matter or two into consideration! The auction ends October 31st. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 250517976871 listing online.
We’ve listed all of these items in our Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide section here on the site. And of course, our usual caution to make your own investigation of the condition, and also to carefully review the terms of the sale if you take an interest in any of the items.
Rene Lalique Jewelry: R Lalique Brooch Le Baiser – A Lalique Kiss – An RLalique Hug – And The RLalique.com Daily Mail
October 18th, 2009
Rene Lalique’s jewelry and all his original works have created a great public interest around the globe. As a result, every day mail pours into RLalique.com World Headquarters with people interested in everything from R Lalique Identification or authentication, to wanting to purchase something or track down a piece they have been looking for, or to talk about the Rene Lalique Sellers Services we offer, or wanting some Rene Lalique Consulting or looking for an R Lalique Appraisal; the emails and the reasons for them run the gamut of just about anything you can imagine to do with the great Rene Lalique.
We thought we’d publish one of our many email exchanges from this week to give you a glimpse of some of the goings on here at the desert hub of worldwide RLalique activity. From this email exchange, you might think we have WAY too much free time, but nothing could be further from the truth!
We’ve made minor edits to remove the identity of the RLalique.com Enthusiast, and to add photos and links for the benefit our RLalique.com Blog readers.
The Email Question:
“Hey there,
Ok, you guys may be my last hope of finding an answer I’ve been looking so long for. About approximately 16 or 17 years ago we had at our Dallas Museum of Art, a fantastic Lalique exhibit. One of the items was a brooch of a man & woman just about to kiss. It must have been made of frosted crystal. It looked like a piece of carved ice. It was beautiful. But engraved around the edge of the brooch were words. Beautiful words that I thought I’d never forget. The words were just a short phrase. But now, I cannot remember what they said. This is my question. Do you know how I can find out what the words say? In my recent searches, I see they have mimicked this brooch on a perfume bottle. It seems the brooch may be called Le Baiser brooch (1904) If I knew at the time it would be so hard to remember I would have wrote it down at the time…. Can you help me?”
Our Reply:
Hi RLalique.com Enthusiast. Thanks for contacting us and for visiting our website.
The brooch “Le Baiser”. This seems like a tough question. But, we have the answer!!!!!
The brooch you are asking about is owned by the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris… having been donated to them in 1960.
It was lent by them in 1998 to the 3 city exhibition “The Jewels of Lalique” that was in NY at the Cooper-Hewitt, and in DC at the Smithsonian, and then in Dallas the last couple months of 1998 ending on January 10th, 1999 which is where you saw it.
The brooch also was in Japan in 2000-2001 at a huge exhibition of RLalique held there at 3 locations including in Tokyo at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum that we talked about in the Blog a couple months ago… which is the former residence of Prince Asaka and which contains the great Lalique Doors!
AND, most importantly, it appears in the book Lalique Par Lalique, the smaller early edition from 1977/1983, where they discuss the inscription that is enameled on the edge!
“Je reve aux baisers qui demeurent toujours” ….. I dream of kisses eternal! Or ….. I dream of kisses which last forever!
And so do we!
Best Regards,
RLalique.com
PS – It is amazing what you can put together in a few minutes when you are sitting in the middle of The Rene Lalique Books and Library room! (End of Reply)
This brooch was donated to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in 1960 by a son of Rene Lalique named Rene Le Mesnil. You can read about it in the Lalique Jewelry section of the Lalique Biography here on the website.
Seriously, we know how the ancients felt when they walked into Ptolemy’s great Library at Alexandria! Ok, not that “seriously”, but you get the point
And of course, the Lalique Exhibition Catalogues for the exhibitions mentioned in our reply and shown in photos here are obviously available in the Rene Lalique Books and Library section here on the website. They will be found in what is by far the largest selection of Lalique Exhibition Books and Catalogues for sale anywhere in the world. The Lalique Par Lalique book mentioned in our email reply is also in the Library in the section on Modern Lalique Books, where similarly, you will find it among what is by far world’s largest selection of post war books on Rene Lalique and his works.
And don’t forget when you are traveling, to check out our extensive list of Lalique Museum Collections around the world. Wherever you go, you won’t be far from some great R Lalique items.
Now here is the reply (verbatim) from the RLalique.com Enthusiast!
Amazing!!!
You guys are my HERO!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much….
..I would give you a hug!!!!!!
So here’s a cyber HUG !!!!
Thank you (End of Reply)
Hmmmm, we never got a cyber hug before! But it’s greatly appreciated!
And now you know, not just a little more about Rene Lalique, you also know that the Testimonial Page here at RLalique.com likely contains just a small sampling of the great responses and reactions we’ve had from our global readership to the concept of our website!
Finally, having received our first cyber hug, we will leave you with this thought:
Nous rêvons aux étreintes qui demeurent toujours” ….. We dream of hugs eternal!
Rene Lalique Fakes: Antiques & Auction News Article Features RLalique.com As Its R Lalique Reference!
October 14th, 2009
The October 16th issue of the “Antiques & Auction News”, the antiques publication that bills itself as “The Most Widely Read Collector’s Newspaper in the East!” has an extensive article covering the highlights of what collectors should be aware of in the area of fake Lalique and other dodgy items passed off as RLalique. The article, titled “Fooled By Fakes: Buyer Beware! Rene Lalique Art Glass by Anita Stratos”, also includes a discussion on color changed radiated pieces, as well as advice on how to protect yourself by being well informed.
The main reference material for the article was the information found here at RLalique.com in our section on Fake Lalique items, as well as in phone conversations between the author and an expert here at RLalique.com World Headquarters! Seriously, when you want to talk Ghosts; who you gonna call? You call Ghostbusters! When you want to talk RLalique ……….
We’ve posted the article in its entirety with the generous and kind permission of the author Anita Stratos, in our Rene Lalique Articles of Interest Section! In addition to this article, you’ll also find several other articles of interest in that section, including articles covering bid rigging at auctions and other illegal bid schemes, which were written by a lawyer knowledgeable in auction law.
We noted for the fakes article, that the incidence of fake Lalique items is much less than in many other fields, but as you can see from our Fake Lalique Section, and also the RLalique Police Page, there are landmines out there to be avoided.
Great news to have coverage of information from our site by a large and respected antiques publication. And also to have wider coverage of the kind of information that collectors should have to protect themselves against a mistaken purchase. One of the worst things for a collecting community is to have anyone, especially novice collectors or beginning collectors buy a fake or other problematic piece.
It’s in the interest of all R Lalique collectors to have widely available information in this area, and to have a large overall knowledge base of public information that purchasers can access to get educated. This article is another step in the right direction of increasing public awareness and education. Check it out.
By the way, every item model pictured in this blog post has been represented or offered for sale as R Lalique. None are.
Rene Lalique Auctions: Rene Lalique Religious Design AND The Star Wars Vase Appears! Our Lalique Cup Runneth Over!
October 9th, 2009
Rene Lalique at Auction: Unique and Amazing Items are coming up at auction around the world in the next few weeks. There are enough really high-end lots appearing, that you might overlook some of the run of the mill great and rare (as opposed to unique and amazing) pieces. We thought we’d do a brief wrap-up of a few of the highlights and bright spots, all of which (and more) can be found in the Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide Section here at the Worldwide Gathering Place!
On October 27th, at Sotheby’s London, it’s hard to get excited about the rare Oreilles Gravees Decanter or the Motif Decoratif Deux Perruches, both of which are standout lots in their own right, because of the great Deux Cigales Vase on offer. Thought to be unique (especially if you are the owner or the auction house), this 32 centimeter vase is likely the same one formerly owned by Glen and Mary Lou Utt. They even found a place in their seminal work Lalique Perfume Bottles to show a photo of the vase!
And in case you didn’t notice the obvious, have you figured out yet where the design for the outfit for Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies came from? Heck talkies* weren’t even developed until the early 1920’s, and here, around 1912, the great Lalique already had the main costume design for a series of outer space high tech flicks that wouldn’t come along for more than half a century after that. Lalique was a true visionary that understood the future in ways scholars and scientists are just beginning to realize (and see Rene Lalique: Inventor of the Satellite Dish)! Maybe the fact of his costume design prowess is buried somewhere in the credits at the end of all the Star Wars movies?
Anyway, if you’re serious about Rene Lalique vases, or if you just worship the work of the great Lalique, then this vase is nearly a religious experience. You might say Amazing Vase instead of Amazing Grace. Which brings us to Christie’s in New York on October 21st.
At Christies, amongst a few pieces of Lalique’s jewelry (trinkets really :), is the incredible religious motif “Art Nouveau Ivory, Gold And Enamel Chalice”! This chalice was exhibited both at the Musée des Art Décoratifs in the big retrospective exhibition in 1991-1992, and also in the fabulous US exhibition The Jewels of Lalique which was held in three locations in 1998, including the Cooper-Hewitt in New York, and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. The chalice (as described by Christies) features white robed Apostles and seated robed worshipers. A jewel of a chalice to put it mildly. Not the top money lot in the sale by far, but an amazing example of the work of Lalique. And yes, there are also the 5 lots of Lalique’s jewelry, with estimates ranging from a low of $15,000, up to the $500,000 range. Great stuff. See more Rene Lalique Religious pieces, or more Rene Lalique Jewellery sales.
The foregoing items might cause you to overlook some more typical rare and good looking pieces that we also thought to bring to your attention. In Florida on October 21st, what looks like a fantastic nearly white opalescent Thais statue is coming up at a local Florida auction house. Also on the 21st in East Sussex in the UK at Gorringes, the Veilleuse Brule-Parfums Perfume Burner Roses and the wood and glass box Chrysanthemes. In France on the 26th of October, the Perruches Bowl in mint green opalescent glass! And not big money, but as cool as anything R Lalique; at Christies London on October 20th, the pair of Libellule Knife rests, one of Lalique’s most creative tableware designs, and nearly impossible to find in good condition (check these and anything else out for yourself of course :).
And a few decorative arts auctions with good numbers of Rene Lalique auction items and several outstanding pieces: In Germany at Quittenbaum on the 19th of this month there are 30 scattered lots, many appearing to be of good quality, such as the Coral Rouge Perfume Bottle (with original box) for Forvil. In Bordeaux France on the 15th, a great selection of rare perfume bottles, and at Woolley and Wallis in the UK on the 14th, the vases Pensees with black enamel, and Papillons amongst others.
And to think we have not even reached the major December decorative arts sales. As of this writing, we have 56 auctions containing hundreds of R Lalique items from all over the globe listed in the Rene Lalique Auctions Section. Yes both literally and figuratively our cup doth runneth over!**
A short note that the Rene Lalique Catalogue Books for both exhibitions mentioned above can be found in the R Lalique Books and Library Section here at RLalique.com. The Utt’s book Rene Lalique Perfume Bottles is also available in the Library. All three books are quite extensive and contain both scholarly analysis and historical information, along with tons of photos of wonderful Rene Lalique items.
* Talkies are movies with synchronized sound. The first feature length movie that was a true talkie was a classic: The Jazz Singer in 1927!
** “…… my cup runneth over” is from Psalms 23:5, The King James Version of the Bible.
Rene Lalique Cire Perdue Glass Vase: An R Lalique Opportunity Knocks?
September 27th, 2009
Quick! Your chance to grab a cheap piece of R Lalique Cire Perdue Glass is evaporating with each passing second. Just as the lost wax melts away, so your opportunity is draining away as well. Run, don’t walk to your computer (oh, you already are on your computer, hmmmmmmm) and bid early and often on the Rene Lalique Cire Perdue Vase that has appeared on Ebay. Here’s the title of the ad:
Art Deco R Lalique Cire Perdue Vase COQ Crystal Signed!
And here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 400075284244 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
Get your bid in before some smart buyer gets the seller to sell it cheap off-line and stop the sale.
This is the best line from the description: “Up for consideration from the estate is an Art Deco R Lalique Cire Perdue Vase that was located in a locked curio cabinet in the family room.” Glad to know it was in a locked cabinet. That’s a mark of authenticity if ever there was one, and something all potential buyers really need to know if they have any doubts about the claims of the seller. Yes, it was locked up totally, which means it’s definitely Cire Perdue. 🙂
If you are tempted to jump right in with that big bid, you might want to consider The Rene Lalique Consulting Services we offer before throwing your money away :).
And of course, you can see some examples of real R Lalique Cire Perdue by checking out the blog posts here at RLalique.com that discuss Cire Perdue. And we also we have a few R Lalique Cire Perdue Vases partially pictured on the Rene Lalique Bio page as well.
Be careful out there. And oh, doesn’t this Cire Perdue Glass vase look strangely similar to the R.Lalique production vase Coq Et Plumes? Probably just the lighting in the photo.
Rene Lalique Ashtray-Cendrier Moineau in Lalique’s Classic Yellow Amber Glass: R Lalique At Auction
September 27th, 2009
Rene Lalique’s great ashtray – cendrier designs are dissed a lot these days. Ring dish is the latest modern preferred phrase when referring to one, but there are others. Today’s entry is a Rene Lalique “Ring Holder”! Close enough.
$9.99 to start and a no reserve auction on a yellow amber R Lalique Ring Holder Moineau, or whatever nom de plume or misnomer it’s given. It’s still an R Lalique Ashtray of course no matter what you call it. This whole PC naming thing is for the birds of course.
Online ending Oct 2nd, from a highly rated seller: 6500 feedbacks at 99.9%. Not bad. The southern California seller states:
“Super item in excellent condition, I find no chips cracks scratches or repair”.
Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 350257386001 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image. All you “Ring Holder” collectors might want to check it out. The auction ends October 2nd.
This great little ashtray is also listed in the Rene Lalique Auctions Section here at RLalique.com.
December 3rd, 2009 Update: Switched Item Link To Cached Image Version
Rene Lalique Christ Statue: R Lalique Religious Plaque – A Rene Lalique Crucifix At Auction
September 21st, 2009
A Rene Lalique Christ Statue in the form of a Lalique crucifix plaque in wooden base has appeared at auction with a $9.99 starting price and no reserve.
This R Lalique Statue of Christ, in the form of a crucifix, is catalogue raisonne number #1212 in the wooden base version. It’s a good-size statue, measuring about 10 inches in height overall including base. The seller, with 100% feedback, provides free shipping in the U.S., and represents the condition as follows:
This is In very nice shape no scratches the wood base has minor paint loss due to age, and the is one minor minor flea bite on the bottom probably due to being pulled from the wood base.
The seller has also included extensive photos so you can judge for yourself the condition details of both the statue and the base. The wood base is likely not the preferred display method for may owners due to the tendency of wood bases to show wear and tear over the years. However there is a certain period and historical charm to have an original well-worn base sporting a statue in near perfect (according to the seller of course:) condition.
A nice R Lalique glass item to purchase and donate to a local church for their own use or as a raffle item, or as an amazing gift to the right person, or of course to add to your collection of the works of the great Lalique. There are sufficient numbers of religious objects designed by Rene Lalique, especially representations of Christ, that they comprise a collecting field in their own right. They are also of interest to collectors of religious artwork and glass decorative objects that collect a variety of makers in addition to the works of Lalique.
Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 120471841877 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image. You can also see this great Rene Lalique Statue listed in the Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide Section, where you will also find additional works of Rene Lalique at Auction all across the globe.
December 3rd, 2009 Update: Switched Item Link To Cached Image Version
Rene Lalique Ashtrays and the R Lalique Theory of Buses
September 19th, 2009
One of the nice guys (you might ask if there are any other kind) in R Lalique collecting has what we call The R Lalique Theory of Buses. He says, with the frustration of a collector that can’t find what he’s looking for: “R Lalique pieces are like buses. You can never find one when you are looking for one, but when you aren’t looking, they just keep coming down the road.”
Well, his theory was proved right once again last night with the appearance on Ebay of another rare Rene Lalique Ashtray Pelican in Opalescent Glass. This would be the second one in less than two months! We wrote at the end of July about the appearance of one of these rare Rene Lalique Ashtrays that came up for auction with a very low starting price and no reserve. It made $1343, a price we considered extremely reasonable at the time.
The latest entry in the pelican contest appeared with a low reserve of $200 that has already been met. The seller has a clean rating and states:
Condition is excellent with no chips, cracks, or restoration.
Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 110436377977 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
And for those of you on the edge of your seats who are wondering about the history of all this: The first known public bus was introduced by none other than Blaise Pascal, the great French mathematician and philosopher in Paris in 1662. It consisted of a multi-seat carriage. And unknown (until now) to our frustrated collector friend who put together the whole R Lalique Theory of Buses, that is the historical tie that connects the works of another great Frenchman (the one we are most interested in), that came along centuries later, to the whole worldwide bus continuum*! Who could have guessed?
And who is the philosophizing collector, the Pascal wannabe that came up with all this bus stuff? Well, we won’t throw him under the bus** by revealing his identity. Sorry, we couldn’t resist that one.
You can also find this item listed in our Rene Lalique Auctions section here at RLalique.com.
*Until the movie Back to the Future came out, most people had never heard the word “continuum“. It was used in the movie in the phrase “The Space-Time Continuum“. Continuum refers to a coherent whole that can be characterized as a progression or sequence. And no, we are not going to discuss the flux capacitor. That is beyond the scope of this article.
** Throw Under The Bus is a recent American phrase, coming into use in the last 20 or 30 years. No one knows (well, no one that we know knows) the exact origin, but generally it’s used to indicate betrayal, or sacrificing someone else, such a friend or colleague.
December 3rd, 2009 Update: Switched Item Link To Cached Image Version
Rene Lalique Photographs: A Picture is Worth 1000 Words
September 11th, 2009
R Lalique Photos: A picture is worth 1000 words. Also in this case, 400-500 Canadian dollars!
On September 12th, at Levis Auction House in Calgary, Canada, in an auction of prints and art books, is a black and white photograph by Carol Marino, showing the R Lalique Vases Saint Francois and Ceylon.
The 1983 photo is 14.5 x 11.25 inches, and is further described as follows: signed and numbered along bottom; bears title and date on label attached verso; framed; archival mat Provenance: Jane Corkin, Toronto, label verso; from the estate of Dr. and Mrs. Horn Estimated Price: CAD400 – CAD500
The auction house contact info is: 1-403-541-9099 or mail@levisauctions.com
The phrase “A Picture is Worth 1000 Words” has its modern origins credited to an advertising manager from the 1920’s named Fred Barnard. Barnard used a couple of very similar phrases (One Look is Worth A Thousand Words, and One Picture is Worth Ten Thousand Words) to promote the sale of ads on the sides of streetcars.
By the way, Napoleon turned the famous phrase with a slightly less exacting rendition of the later 20th century implementation:
“Un bon croquis vaut mieux qu’un long discours!” In English it’s: “A good sketch is better than a long speech!”
This R Lalique photograph is also listed in our Rene Lalique Auctions Section.
Rene Lalique Jewelry: A Tale of Two Serpents
September 8th, 2009
Rene Lalique Jewelry: In the top tier of Lalique’s jewelry creations, made before his turn to mass production of glass, are the Rene Lalique unique Serpents motif objects. Two great variations of this striking R Lalique Jewelry design are in world-class museums and their survival provides a great chance to compare and contrast follow-on implementations by Lalique of one of his most amazing design ideas.
The piece most often appearing in exhibitions and photos around the world (including the accompanying photo from Wikipedia Commons) is the 9 Serpents pectoral* owned by the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. This amazing piece was acquired by Calouste Gulbenkian directly from Rene Lalique in 1908 and it resides in the museum specifically built to house the collections he amassed during his lifetime, including his collection of over 100 of the works of Rene Lalique. The Gulbenkian Serpents creation is classified as a pectoral instead of a brooch due to its amazing size of 21 cm, or over 8 inches long. A similar piece to the Gulbenkian’s was exhibited in 1900 with strings of pearls hanging from the mouths of the serpents.
But another great Serpents motif jewelry piece also appears at exhibition from time to time, this one owned by the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg Russia. The Hermitage is housed in the former Winter Palace of the Czars, and contains over three million art objects in its collections including several works of Rene Lalique. The Hermitage Serpents design takes the form of a pendant, and features 6 Serpents, two of which retain the natural pearl in their mouths, so often used by Lalique in his jewelry. This pendant form Serpents design is roughly half the size of the Gulbenkian’s Serpents pectoral, measuring only 11 cm long. It recently was on loan to the Artistic Luxury Exhibition which appeared both in Cleveland and San Francisco and which ended in May.
Lalique would often make variations of his great jewelry designs, using and re-using similar implementations of the same motif to create unique objects. In this example, Lalique created objects with different uses and size, but both retain the look and feel so to speak, of the original artistic creation. A study of these two great objects shows not just the influence of Art Nouveau on Lalique’s jewelry, but also how the same basic design was adapted by Lalique to different purposes, not just of use, but also of effect.
Here are two short videos, one taken at the Gulbenkian showing some of the works of Lalique on exhibit there, and another taken at an exhibition of some of the Art Nouveau masterpieces of the Hermitage. Both videos show the Lalique Serpents Jewelry owned by the respective museum.
The Bible of Lalique’s Jewelry, Rene Lalique Schmuck und Objects d’art 1890-1910 by Sigrid Barten shows several variations of this great Serpents design. It’s of course available in our Rene Lalique Books and Library Section on modern books about Rene Lalique and his R Lalique works. In this Library section and others, you will also find various books and catalogues on Lalique’s jewelry, the hardback edition of the great Artistic Luxury Exhibition book, as well as several different publications documenting the Gulbenkian’s RLalique collection.
*Pectoral really means breast-plate, and is used to describe what in effect is a really big brooch. Think brooch on steroids!
