Art Deco Glass
from the Glass
Encyclopedia

Art Deco is a name derived from an exhibition in Paris in 1925 (the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et industriels Modernes) where the finest French artists exhibited their pieces in this new style.

Art Deco has been called "the perfect expression of the extravagance of Paris during the 1920's... renouned for its opulence and exclusiveness".

Art Deco style uses geometric patterns, bold colours, exuberant (sometimes stylised) female figures, and animal motifs.

Major designers of Art Deco glass were Rene Lalique, Maurice Marinot, Daum Freres, Marius Sabino, Etling, Schneider, Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, and Francois Decorchemont (all French). In Sweden Art Deco glass was made by Orrefors, in Britain it was produced by Joblings, Bagley, Stevens & Williams, Davidson, Sowerby, and Moncrieff; in Belgium there was a series of Art Deco pieces made by Val St. Lambert, and in Germany it was made by Auguste Walther and Sohne, amongst others.

The small vase on the left is by Sabino, made in Paris in 1929 and named "Les Lianes". Its price, in the 1931 catalogue, was 45 francs.