EMILE GALLE - Vase Chardons - c. 1925

Rare vase Thistle designed by Emile Gallé (1846-1904). Gallé was one of the major innovator in the French Art Nouveau movement and the founder of the Ecole de Nancy design movement. He studied phylosophy and natural science and was a well known botanist who studied plants and insects. These are reflected in his exquisite glass craftmanship. He was specialist in the cased glass technique who consist of two or more different layers of glass of different colors, fused together by heat. The first case of layer is made in a cold. When it is finished and cooled, a second layer is blown inside the first Then the piece is placed into the furnace, so the two layers fuse together. On this cased glass he used the cameo technique what is a positive relief image on the surface of the glass. He first showed his exquisite design and craftmanship an the Paris International Exhibition in 1889.