Ceramics & Glass
Pierre D’Avesn French Art Deco Opaline Glass Lion Vase
Pierre D’Avesn French Art Deco Opaline Glass Lion Vase
A rare French Art Deco vase by Pierre D’Avesn, executed in luminous white opaline glass. The body is decorated in high relief with a continuous procession of eight male and female lions encircling the vase, creating a strong sculptural effect from every angle. Animal imagery was an important theme throughout Art Deco sculpture and decorative arts, and this dramatic group of lions gives the piece particular appeal to collectors. A series of stepped and fluted bands rises toward the neck, adding an architectural contrast to the rounded form below.
In our retail store, we were constantly asked whether we had “any Lalique.” It is probably the one name most often recognized by both beginning collectors and seasoned enthusiasts. That makes the career of Pierre D’Avesn especially interesting. Born Pierre Gire, he began working for René Lalique as an apprentice at the age of 14 and remained there for approximately eleven years, leaving shortly after the 1925 Paris Exposition. During those formative years, he would have gained extensive experience in the molded glass techniques that helped define French Art Deco glass.
After leaving Lalique, D’Avesn joined Daum and became associated with the Verrier d’Art Lorrain division, where he was able to produce work under his own name. He later worked for Verlys and Sèvres, continuing a long career in French glass design that extended across much of the twentieth century.
Although D’Avesn designed many forms of glassware, lighting, and decorative objects during his career, signed artistic pieces such as this are especially desirable. With its striking lion motif, strong relief decoration, and beautiful opaline glass, this vase is an exceptional example of French Art Deco glass and an important addition to a collection of decorative arts.
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