René Lalique, Ornis vase

RENÉ LALIQUE (Aÿ, France, 1860- Paris, 1945).
Ornis vase, ca. 1926.
Molded and opalescent glass.
Signed.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Bibliography: MARCILHAC Felix, R. LALIQUE, catalog raisonné of the work of glass, Editions de l'amateur, Paris, 1994, Ref 976.
Measurements: 19 x 21.5 x 15 cm.

The Ornis vase, originally designed by René Lalique in 1926, is one of the most delicate and representative of his ability to merge naturalism with the geometric purity of the Art Deco style. Its name Ornis (Greek for "bird") refers to the two bird figures that serve as handles. These birds (worked in frosted glass) seem to perch lightly on the top rim of the vase, looking into the interior of the vase.

René Jules Lalique was a French master glassmaker and jeweler, founder of the firm that bears his name. He enjoyed great recognition thanks to his original creations of jewelry, perfume bottles, glasses, plates, etc., within the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. He trained with the Parisian jeweler Louis Aucoq, and then continued his studies at Sudenham Art College in London. The excellence of his creations and the taste he applied to his works earned him important commissions for the interior decoration of ships, trains such as the Orient Express, churches such as St. Nicasius in Reims and numerous religious and civil goldsmiths. Lalique was not content with designing their models, but also founded a factory to produce large quantities, patenting several innovative manufacturing processes of glass, and various technical effects such as "satin Lalique" or opalescent glass. Lalique pieces are preserved in prominent museums such as the Corning Museum of Glass and the Metropolitan in New York, the Louvre or the Orsay in Paris, among many others.