Lyon & Turnbull | Lalique
- | West, East and North Galleries
Exhibition Viewing Times: Tuesday 29 October, 1pm - 5pm, Wednesday 30 October, 10am - 5pm, Thursday 31 October 2024, 10am - 12pm
Auction Time: Thursday 31 October at 1pm, Live at Mall Galleries & online
Free Admission, no booking required
With over 170 lots and estimates ranging from £300 - £35,000, the Lalique sale on 31 October offers a broad range of works mainly by René Lalique, alongside some by Marc Lalique and Marie-Claude Lalique too.
Highlights in the sale include the 'Hibou Inkwell', an extremely rare example with only two others known to exist, one in the V&A collection, London (ascension number C1491-B1924) and the other was offered for sale at Sotheby's, New York in 2016. Alongside inkwells, the sale will offer other desk wares – blotters, paperweights, seals and frames - that will enhance any interior.
There are four lots of Lalique's rare 'cire perdue' works in the sale, the majority of which were one-offs and no other version was conceived. Their special qualities appeal to a connoisseur market.
'Cire perdue' (or lost wax as it is sometimes known) is an ancient technique more commonly used for casting bronzes, but one which can readily be adapted for the making of glass. The 'Grenouille Six Guirlandes de Graines' Covered Vase, designed in 1921, is likely to have broad appeal as it is surmounted with a perching frog, while aquatic foliage trails down the body of the vessel.
The 'Hirondelles Moyenne, with Tourbillons Body' is a rare night light. The tiara form shade is elegantly decorated with dynamic swallows in flight, while the base features an abstract rendering of swirling forms representing wind. Swallows have come to be symbols of stability and loyalty, as well as homecoming. They return to the same nest each year guiding by their amazing homecoming instincts. What a perfect subject for a nightlight!
There is a wide selection of jewellery in the sale, as well as boxes, scent bottles, decanters and lighting. The sale does not lack clear and frosted, opalescent and coloured vases. Some of the star pieces are an 'Archers' vase in black, an opalescent 'Tourterelles' vase with lovebirds on the cover and a rare yellow 'Royat' vase.
Illustrated:
RENÉ LALIQUE (1860-1945) | HIBOU INKWELL, A | £20,000 - £30,000 + fees |
RENÉ LALIQUE (1860-1945) | GRENOUILLE SIX GUIRLANDES DE GRAINES COVERED VASE, CP307 | £25,000 - £35,000 + fees |
RENÉ LALIQUE (1860-1945) | HIRONDELLES VEILLEUSE MOYENNE, WITH TOURBILLONS BODY, NO. 2556 | £15,000 - £20,000 + fees |