Emil Gallé
This masterpiece of glass was commissioned by a French countess as a present for the wedding of Princess Marguerite of Chartres. The poet Robert de Montesquiou wrote a special verse engraved in the body of the vase explaining the decoration of the vase: lilies and daisies symbolize the heart of the Princess. In French, Marguerite means daisy, which is why daisies were embossed on the vase, in addition to the engraved verse. Two of these daisies are visible on the pictured side of the vase.
The shape of the vase is a simple kind of Greek amphora and all the preciosity of the vase comes from the glassware and inclusions of gold and cabochons.
This is the fourth and final study of this vase. Studies were produced to reduce risks of production, since experimental shapes might be overly fragile, and were expensive to produce. This specific study was displayed in 1897 during the Fine-Arts Salon in Paris.
- Coraline Méric
P.S. We love beautiful things! See here Alexander Calder’s unique jewelry, timeless prints of William Morris here, and exquisite mother-of-pearl artifacts from Gujarat here. <3