EMILE GALLÉ (1846-1904) Rare 'Rhododendrons' Table Lampcirca 1925mold-blown and cameo glass, patinated bronze, the base and shade signed Galléheight 18 1/2in (47cm); diameter of shade 14 1/4in (36.2cm)

EMILE GALLE (1846-1904)
Rare 'Rhododendrons' Table Lampcirca 1925mold-blown and cameo glass, patinated bronze, the base and shade signed Galléheight 18 1/2in (47cm); diameter of shade 14 1/4in (36.2cm)

ProvenanceVera Neumann, Chateau Gingins, SwitzerlandPrivate Collection, North America (acquired from the above, circa 1985)LiteratureGeorges de Bartha, 'L'Art 1900: La Collection Neumann', La Bibliotheque des Arts Paris, unpaginated (present lot illustrated)The early 20th century saw a number of technological advances that enabled luxury arts manufacturers to not only improve production, but explore new ways of creating increasingly sophisticated and beautiful objects. The mold-blown glass technique, whereby molten glass is injection blown into an engraved mold, then built up and cut back in the cameo method, created a much greater sense of relief depth and three-dimensionality than the acid-etched and engraved cameo glass the Gallé firm had used previously. The mold-blown technique was used by other firms, including Lalique and Pairpoint, but the Gallé technique of layering sections of multicolored crystal to create such a luminous effect is what set them apart.Gallé produced a small number of lamps with the mold-blown technique, some of which were based on existing designs, including Cherries and Wisteria and Rhododendrons, and a series of vases depicting flowers, fruit, and a very few with animals. Although the technique created such vibrant colors and richly dense decoration in low and high relief, it was only employed for a short time - less than six years - between 1925-1930, possibly owing to the expense of the cast-iron molds and consequently the relatively few designs that were created with them.