Marius Ernest Sabino

MARIUS ERNEST SABINO (Sicily, 1878–France, 1961).
“L’idole.”
Opalescent glass. Metal base with a later-period light fixture.
Signed.
Work published in the catalog raisonné “Sabino. Maitre Verrier de L’Art Déco, 1878–1961,” by Philippe Decelle.
Measurements: 17 x 13 x 10.5 cm with base.

Sculpture by Marius-Ernest Sabino, one of the great masters of French opalescent glass from the Art Deco period. Titled “L’Idole,” it depicts a seated female figure with stylized forms and a hieratic pose, conceived with a marked frontal perspective that accentuates its symbolic and almost ritualistic character. The refinement of the forms and the serenity of the face fully reflect the Art Deco taste for formal synthesis and the modern reinterpretation of archaic and exotic models. Particularly striking is the use of opalescent glass, a material for which Sabino achieved particular renown: its milky hues take on bluish, golden, and pearlescent reflections depending on the angle of the light, endowing the figure with an ethereal presence. The illuminated base specifically enhances these optical qualities.

Of Sicilian origin, Marius Ernest Sabino (1878–1961) trained at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where he showed a particular interest in new applications of glass. After World War I, upon returning from the front, he founded his own workshop. Interested in both the artistic and technical aspects of glass production, he developed innovative construction and decorative techniques, primarily creating mold-blown pieces with relief decorations. Beginning in the 1920s, he took on official commissions as well as producing vases and other ornamental pieces, in which his skill as a sculptor is evident. Sabino also exhibited his work at the Paris Salons and displayed a large illuminated column at the 1937 World’s Fair. After World War II, Marius Sabino continued to run the factory, although he stopped creating new designs.