February 15th, 2012
 Rene Lalique Red Vases do extremely well at auction, as evidenced by a string of world record prices for different R.Lalique Vase models in red glass over the last few years. Recent examples include a red glass Perruches Vase which sold at Bonhams in London on November 16th, 2011 as Lot 157 in their sale, “Rene Lalique: Designs in Glass” for £42,050 (about $68,000 at that time), as well as the red glass Rene Lalique Hirondelles Vase which famously made a world record auction hammer price for any R. Lalique colored glass production vase in November of 2010. And also on December 9th, 2010 a Red Ronces Vase selling as Lot 56 made £10,000 British Pounds at Christie’s South Kensington (about $16,000 at the time); also a likely world record price at auction for the Ronces Vase model.
And while red glass vases have done extremely well as of late, the world records have not been limited to either red or rare, as shown by the opalescent glass Rennes Vase, which made a world record price for that model selling as Lot 10-875 on November 17th, 2011 at Christies South Kensington in London for £18,750 or about $30,000 at the time! A person (and a hat-tip to our confederate “Pol” from south of the equator for being that person and bringing this to our attention) could make the case that in some respects, the relatively common Rennes Vase making that kind of price is more impressive than any of the red stuff.
 But be that as it may, the numbers are much bigger when bidders see red; red and rare being an explosive combination in the price department. February 11th, 2012 in Detroit at Dumouchelles auction house was no exception. For on that day, an R. Lalique Courges Vase appeared in Lalique’s red glass. Introduced in 1914, the Courges Vase is one of Lalique’s earliest production vases. Red Courges are rarely seen at auction, the last time being the Red Courges at Davidson Auctions in Australia on August 8th, 2008 where it sold for AUD41,940 all-in against a pre-sale estimate of AUD9,000 to AUD11,000. The final price was about $38,000 U.S. at that time.
And note that there is an active private market as well for all models and colors of R. Lalique, the red Courges being no exception (well activity is limited a bit by rarity:). We placed a red Courges Vase through the Lalique Wanted section here at RLalique.com near the end of 2011 in a transaction between clients of two different countries. That placement came after over 2 years of searching for one of course.
The Courges is one of Rene Lalique earliest vases, with both the shape of the vase and the design on the vase being in harmony with the vase’s gourd motif.
 Another great thing about the Courges is that it many times has multiple interesting signatures, owing to the manufacturing techniques of the period; the Dumouchelles example being no exception as shown in the accompanying photo. Other Courges multi-signature examples can be seen in the linked article on authentic R Lalique Signatures here on the website.
The auction house reports that there were at least 8 serious bidders, with a handful still bidding near the end.
 We talked to some of those interested parties and they all had great things to say about the professionalism and excellent service they found at Dumouchelles, something we at World Headquarters have also experienced in our contacts with everyone at Dumouchelles. The active bidders included collectors and dealers from continental Europe, England, the U.S. and at least one other continent. Hopefully, several of the bidders will have remembered to tell Dumouchelles what auction houses around the world have been hearing for years on their R.Lalique items; “I saw it at RLalique.com!”.
One final note from the auction house: On Wednesdays, Dumouchelles holds open consignment days, where people just walk-in with what they have to offer, and the auction house never knows what might appear. Well, the great Red Courges Vase walked-in on a Wednesday (and flew out on a Saturday). Go figure.
Against a pre-sale estimate of $3000 to $6000, the final price was $47,500, and with the buyers 20% premium, $57,000. The world record for this vase model, and a great R. Lalique result.
How rare is the red glass Courges Vase? Well, after leaving the factory and the retailers back in the day, it’s unlikely that two of these vases have ever been together in the same room again …… until recently. The accompanying Two Red Courges photo shows a pair of the great and rare vases sitting together on a window shelf. They are part of an extensive current collection of R. Lalique items. One of the two pictured Courges is the vase acquired thru the Lalique Wanted section here at RLalique.com, having appeared quite literally out the blue (out of the red?) in an email a while back that began; “I am in possession of a vase that appears in your Wanted Section …. “. True enough the writer was.
And yes we know; several of the underbidders this week on the Dumouchelles Red Courges are seeing double red themselves after viewing this great double Courges photo!
A red hot market for the great Rene Lalique.
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February 11th, 2012
Rene Lalique Jewelry hit another auction sales home run at Sotheby’s Important Jewels auction on February 9th, 2012 in New York City. Tucked into the middle of the two session sale were four R. Lalique jewelry items, all thought to be unique pieces from the period before 1905.
 In summary, the four lots were estimated in total at $255,000 to $340,000. Against this estimate, the four made $652,000, or over 2 and 1/2 times the low estimate and nearly double the high one.
Lot 253 was the high seller of the group; a wonderful combination Lalique pendant-brooch, with a small watch where you might typically find the trademark suspended natural pearl.
Two coherent pieces, finished well both back and front, they made $188,500 against and estimated $75,000 – $100,000.
2nd high seller and a personal favorite of this writer was Lot 252, a typically designed and presented Lalique Pendant with an off-white enamel face, blue enamel poppies, yellow-green enamel leaves, and sporting a gray-lavender drop pearl. This wonderful Lalique Jewel is shown in a drawing on Page 274 in the seminal work by Sigrid Barten titled Rene Lalique Schmuck und Objects d’art which is available in the Lalique Books section here at RLalique.com.
This amazing piece of R. Lalique artwork made $176,500 against an estimate of $60,000 – $80,000.
 3rd place went to the Dragonfly Pendant-Brooch selling as Lot 254 and featuring two facing dragonflies done up in blue, teal, white, and plate blue plique-a-jour enamel, and having a central oval cabochon opal, white opal spindleberries, and stems enameled in white.
The missing pin did not deter bidders from pushing it up to $170,500 against an estimate of $60,000 – $80,000.
4th in price, was Lot 255, a two part offering consisting of a matching Lalique Brooch and Lalique Clasp. Each piece had a central amethyst, each featured white, cream and pink enamel work, each had a well worked mirrored gold patterned back, and the Brooch additionally showed clusters of iridescent glass raspberries.
The nice matched pair made $116,500 again the thrice low $60,000 – $80,000 estimate.
The nearly 400 lot sale at the company’s York Avenue salesrooms totaled just over $10,000,000, with the Lalique Jewelry comprising but 1% of the offered items, yet making over 6% of the sale total.
Once again, the market continues strong as more buyers recognize not just the attractiveness of the works of Rene Lalique, but also Lalique’s importance in art history and the art nouveau and art deco movements. You can find out more about Rene Lalique Jewelry and entire amazing story about the life of the great man by visiting the Rene Lalique Biography, here at RLalique.com: THE Worldwide Gathering Place For Rene Lalique Collectors and R. Lalique Enthusiasts!
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December 18th, 2011
 Richard Burton, perhaps the most well known among the 8 husbands and other loves of Elizabeth Taylor, was apparently the most prolific jewelry buyer in her life. Burton gave Taylor some incredible pieces of jewelry including for example a pearl (NOT the drop pearl with this pendant) from the 1500’s once owned by England’s Mary Tudor and for which Burton paid $37,000 in 1969. This pearl was found in the Gulf of Panama in the early 16th century at a time when Spain was exploring and colonizing the new world. At the time, it was the biggest pearl known, being 56 carats!
It was taken to Spain by Don Pedro de Temez, the administrator of the Panama Colony and presented to King Philip. Philip gave the “La Peregrina Pearl” (la peregrina means the pilgrim or the wanderer) to Queen Mary as a wedding present when they got married in 1544, and it appears in a portrait from that same year of Queen Mary The 1st, painted by Hans Eworth; a painting that Taylor and Burton helped the National Portrait Gallery in Great Britain to acquire in 1972. This pearl reverted to King Philip on Mary’s death, and was part of the Crown Jewels of Spain for around 250 years. Several portraits exist of royalty wearing this pearl including portraits painted by Diego Velazquez. In 1808 Napoleon Bonaparte put his brother Joseph (Giuseppe) on the Spanish throne, but Joe’s time as King of Spain lasted just 5 years due to some setbacks for the Bonaparte crowd and the Spanish not taking too kindly to an imposed French King. Being a first class guy, Joe grabbed the pearl (and a lot of other jewelry) on the way out the door as he fled.
Joseph ended up living in the United States for roughly 15 years from about 1817 to 1832, mainly in New Jersey, where among his other activities he had two American daughters by a mistress. When Joseph died he left the pearl to his nephew Charles Louis Bonaparte, who later was Emperor Bonaparte. Charles sold the pearl while exiled in England to James Hamilton, who would become the Duke of Abercorn (an interesting guy that fathered 14 kids by one wife and who among other things was the Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland!). The pearl stayed in his family until 1969 when it was auctioned at Sotheby’s to Burton, who gave it to Taylor as a present! Can you imagine a better or longer provenance? The pearl sold this week for near $12 million! You can watch a video of the sale of this pearl (and a couple other lots from this auction) at the Christie’s website here.
But the Richard Burton gift of interest to us is the blue and green glass R. Lalique Pendant *** featuring a medusa head in a frame of three gold serpents with blue and green enamel and having the Lalique trademark single suspended pearl. A much smaller pearl than the one previously discussed. 🙂
Why three snakes? They’re symbolic of the fact that Medusa was one of three Gorgons!
This wonderful Lalique Pendant appeared in New York in the sale of the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry as Lot Number 281 estimated at $40,000 – $60,000; a not so hidden gem amongst the raft of big gemstone offerings. When the hammer came down, the total sale price including buyers premium was an over 10 times estimate $566,500.
A pearl of a result for a great example of the art that is Rene Lalique jewelry.
If you want to learn more about the great jewelry of Lalique, you’ll find insightful reporting and links to the extensive information at RLalique.com in the R.Lalique Biography section for Lalique’s Jewelry!
*** Christie’s has identified this great object as a brooch. The form of this object appears to us to more closely resemble an R. Lalique pendant than a brooch. An inspection of whatever pin is on the back of the piece, which we have not seen, would settle the question from among the various possibilities.
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December 15th, 2011
Yes friends, you read it right. It turns out that there is a second identical twin of Rene Lalique (that would be identical triplets?), this latest one discovered by an enterprising R. Lalique dealer no less! You can see the amazing resemblance from the three photos that we dug out of the archives here at World Headquarters. The resemblance between the three photos is uncanny!
The hitherto unknown Sabino Lalique has apparently languished in obscurity for, well for over a 100 years until finally being discovered by an RLalique dealer moonlighting as a genealogist. We’ll just shorten that to Genie, which makes more sense than you might know. For as western readers of Arabian Nights will remember, Aladdin was granted wishes for doing what? For freeing the Genie from a LAMP! So Genie it is. And shown just below in the first photo is the Genie’s lamp, being sold under the auction title “Illuminated nude figure believed to be by Sabino Lalique”!
 And to think the fruit of all the Genie research is being given away for a mere £650 on Ebay in a listing titled: “Illuminated-nude-figure-believed-Sabino-Lalique” no less. Just when the thought occurs to you that every story ever to be told has been told, a good morning laugh awaits.
Of course, all this would be merely ridiculous if some guy picked up a piece of opalescent glass at a garage sale and claimed or inferred some relation to Rene Lalique (of course maybe that’s what happened here :). But when a longtime R. Lalique dealer ties in the great Rene Lalique to this? Well, ridiculous would be most kind. We especially like how Genie tossed out Suzanne this and that in the auction ad. We’ve got a creative thinking Genie here for sure, with some real ingenie-ous tendencies!
 Funny thing is that even the Sabino thing might be questionable. We are not Sabino experts, so it might be Sabino for all we know. It might be Fenton too. Heck for all we know, it might be Picasso’s girlfriend in a one-off glass creation that old Pablo thought up after a basketball game.
Seriously, to be frank (and yes, pun intended as you’ll see shortly) if we had to throw out an equally likely possibility in our minds, we’d propose FRANKART glass as a good guess.
Frankart glass you ask? Well yes there is such a thing. And the 2nd photo shows what is advertised as Frankart and identified as a portrayal of Sally Rand (real name Harriet Beck), the famous Deco and Depression era flapper burlesque star! Sally was especially noted for her ostrich feather fan dance AND her balloon bubble dance!
In Chicago during the 1933 World’s Fair, Sally was arrested four times on the same day for indecent exposure while riding a white horse thru the City while seemingly (but not really) nude!
And ignoring Genie, whom we’ve never met, there’s more of an esoteric ying-yang relationship with Sally Rand and our own experience than meets the eye, all from reading the articles and never looking at the pictures of course, and which explains why we’re so interested in Sally. You see, Sally was arrested for going around creating the illusion of indecency, whereas some people we know in certain circles*** are busy doing just the opposite; going around creating the illusion of decency. Hmmmm.
  And when you look at the details of these two pieces together, the one attributed to Sabino Lalique and the one attributed to Frankart and to Sally Rand, well the thought occurs to expansive thinkers that old Sabino Lalique might have worked for Frankart at some point and used some of his old ideas to create similar glass figures. Heck, while Rene Lalique was busy associating with Sarah Bernhardt, old Sabino must have been out flapping his wings, taking in a little Burlesque, and associating with an entirely different group of glamorous people. How else would he have met Sally and known about the balloon bubble burlesque thing to use for a lamp design?
The whole thing is Genie-us!
The final touch in the online ad for the Sabino Lalique lamp are the entire “Terms and conditions of the sale”: “It is quite normal on R Lalique pieces to have a certain amount of bubbles or lines and small imperfections related to the manufacturing of the piece and also a certain amount of wear and scratches is expected due to their age. I would be happy to deal with any queries and explain the extent of these details about any item.”
Ignoring the obvious question: “What exactly does this have to do with the lamp?”, why not S Lalique? 🙂
*** Circle, as used here, has several synonyms in the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus including pack, ring, crowd, and bunch.
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November 28th, 2011
Likely a world record price for any Lalique Car Mascot at auction was achieved on Saturday November 26th in Chester Springs Pennsylvania, smack in the middle of old Hunt Country west of Philadelphia. The unsigned R. Lalique Renard Hood Ornament appeared at Wiederseim Associates Inc. Auction House, run by Ted And Jill Wiederseim, just a stone’s throw *** from Rhoads Auction House which sold the great Red Hirondelles Vase in November 2010.
Because the rare mascot was not signed and was amongst hundreds of porcelain and other decorative foxes all out of the same house, it was understandably not catalogued as a period R. Lalique glass mascot. It was sold as part of Lot 515 shown above, with four other decorative foxes all for the single estimate of $100-$150. An alert staffer here at RLalique.com spotted the above photo amongst the thousands of auction reports that pour into World Headquarters on a daily basis, and recognized the rare R.Lalique Renard (the French word for fox), likely the rarest and most valuable of all commercial Rene Lalique Car Mascot models. We promptly informed the auction house of the likely amazing treasure they had hidden in plain sight, and placed the great fox in the Worldwide Auction Listings here on the website. This triggered immediate inquiries into Wiederseim from all over the world.
Much was made in certain circles about the lack of signature on the great fox. But as readers of this website are aware, R. Lalique pieces are not authenticated by their signatures. They speak for themselves.
The certain circles we refer to are a couple of R Lalique dealers one of which has disparaged the mascot in what we consider outrageous circumstances, while the other dealer was apparently just completely making stuff up. Both circulated information to the effect that this great item was possibly a “factory reject” (how many of you have seen an R Lalique “factory reject”, or heard that term used in reference to R. Lalique?), and both have also inferred at times that it might not be a genuine R. Lalique car mascot.
Strangely, while knocking down the piece (and maybe by happenstance knocking down the number of bidders and the price the remaining bidders might be willing to pay :), both dealers reserved phone lines for phone bidding!!!! You cannot make this stuff up.
One of these dealers, let’s call this person “Hound Dog”, went so far as to post commentary on the internet even the day after the sale, questioning if the piece was even genuine, disparaging the condition and the price paid, and suggesting it might be a modern copy of some sort. This again, was after reserving a phone bid line and being on the phone with the auction house during the bidding.
The second dealer, let’s call this person “Humpty Dumpty” has seemingly made up the fact that the mascot was broken apart in a significant way in at least a couple of places and glued back together! And he sent emails out to this effect prior to the auction, along with a scandalous theory of a Lalique factory worker picking the parts of the rejected piece out of a trash bin at the factory and taking them home to put them back together again as best he could! Friends, it’s story time in Fantasy Land.
 Oh, Humpty Dumpty also stated as fact in his emails that all R. Lalique pieces were signed before leaving the factory. This is obviously incorrect, and we would refer Mr. Dumpty and all readers to the article here at RLalique.com discussing Authentic Rene Lalique Signatures and to the page on Authentic R Lalique Signatures as well for more information on this point.
So while the yelping from the sideshow was a bit of a distraction leading up to the sale, it did nothing to curb the enthusiasm of bidders from all over the world as many collectors lined up to try and acquire this seldom seen mascot.
The auction house, having only two international capable phones, had to acquire additional phones for the worldwide bidding scramble that ensued upon our listing the fox here! U.S. phone bidders were also heard from, as were a couple of bidders in the room during the sale, including one well known long time dealer who personally inspected the fox before wading into the bidding.
In the end, with the price starting at $25,000 and moving up quickly from there, two phone bidders both from the UK, left the competition behind, reportedly at around $140,000 to $150,000, and took it up to $175,000 ($204,750 with the buyers premium) before the hammer came down on this historic sale of the unassuming, unsigned, but no longer unsung Lalique Hood Ornament.
If you are wondering how the Renard Mascot came to Wiederseim, here is the short version:
 Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours came from France to the United States in 1800 with his two sons Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. Eleuthère started up a little company called E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (most people today just say DuPont). At the start, they made gunpowder. No need to discuss the entire history of the duPont Family in America, but several generations removed from the auspicious start as gunpowder makers, a descendant, John Eleuthère duPont was born in 1938 in Philadelphia. He was the son of William duPont Jr., who among other things, imported from England the famous racehorse The Satrap, winner of the Chesham Stakes at Ascot, the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, and at Newmarket both the Chesterfield Stakes and the July Stakes. In 1996, John tragically shot and killed (yes, using gunpowder) a U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Wrestler named Dave Shultz who was living on his Foxcatcher Farm estate, a property John had taken over after the death of his mother and which he had named Foxcatcher after his father’s famous horse racing stable. John was found guilty of murder in 1997 and died in prison in 2010.
John collected decorative foxes, lots of them. And after his death, and after the house had been swept through by a major New York City based auction house to have their pick of the most valuable items (oops, they missed something), a slew of decorative foxes along with a ton of other stuff were turned over to Wiederseim for auction. Among the relatively low value foxes was the great R. Lalique Renard Car Mascot about which we write today; missed once but not twice, now with the duPont provenance, and headed off to the UK with a world record price tag.
For more information about Lalique’s car mascots including links to all mascot resources on the website, visit the Rene Lalique Biography Car Mascots section here at THE address on the web for everything R. Lalique.
***Stone’s Throw – slang for a short distance (heck, how far can you throw a stone?)
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November 23rd, 2011
The great R. Lalique Moineaux Chambranle Crante Doors from Villa Millbrook, the Jersey home of Lady Trent sold as Lot 131 on November 22nd at Sotheby’s in Paris at their sale Arts Décoratifs du XXe siècle & Design Contemporain. Against a pre-sale estimate of €400,000 – €600,00, the final hammer price was €1,750,000 which totaled €2,024,750 including buyers premium, or approximately $2,750,000 at today’s exchange rates. This great R Lalique result is a world record price for a single Rene Lalique work at auction!
 The wonderful glass and nickel plated steel frame double doors were exhibited in 1929 both at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Décorateurs in Paris, and also at Breves Galleries the same year. They were then installed in the home of Lady Trent, the patron for the famous Lalique Glass Church of Jersey architectural commission which stands to this day as a monument to the great Lalique!
To find out more about Rene Lalique and his architectural creations, from the following link you can access all of the Rene Lalique Architectural content here at RLalique.com including past Lalique Architectural auction results as well as news and reference articles.
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October 1st, 2011
 Rene Lalique results at Christie’s Paris “L’âge d’or du rail – Souvenirs de la Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-lits” were oriented towards the high end, continuing a long string of generally very strong sales prices at auction for the works of the Great Lalique. This strong price trend has been in place for several years, and the rare Lalique items in this train related sale conducted by Christie’s followed and extended that trend.
Christie’s offered up 12 late 1920’s designed Rene Lalique Architectural Panel Lots and one related lot of a pair of the model of armchairs used for train compartments with fabric by Suzanne Lalique (which made €11,250 all-in, or “all-aboard” *** one might say, which is the case for all prices mentioned in this article). The armchair Lot and Lot 147, the maquette for a compartment for a sleeping car with mahogany and decorative inset panels, both sold to the new Musee Lalique, the latter being pre-empted by the Musee at the low estimate.
The wonderful Rene Lalique wood and glass panels rarely come up at auction, and are usually fiercely competed for when they appear. Sept 27th, 2011 was no exception.
 The intrigue amongst the various competing interested parties for rare and high quality R Lalique at auction is often worthy of Orient Express plot status. In this rare instance some of the offered items themselves can also be said to have reached that plot level as well.
The Lalique train lots were 143 thru 155, and things got rolling right out of the station with Lot 143 (pictured), the 9 piece glass panel Figurines Et Raisins making the high R. Lalique sale price of €133,000. This would prove to be the high price not just of any R Lalique panel in the sale, but the high selling lot of the auction as well.
 This was followed by the decorated wood with glass inserts panel Bouquet De Fleurs which at roughly 32 inches by 15 inches, made €67,000. Lot 148, another slightly different 9 piece Figurines Et Raisins Panel, got what would turn out to be 2nd place in the Lalique high sales compartment at €91,000, and the third high selling lot of the entire auction. Fourth place for R Lalique went to Lot 147 (pictured), a restored maquette for a compartment featuring R. Lalique panels, which made €53,800.
Also pictured is Lot 151, another Bouquet De Fleurs panel version, roughly 3 feet by 1 foot, which sold for €11,875.
In total the 12 Rene Lalique panel lots made €472,225 (roughly $640,000). This was about 40% above the total high estimates of €344,700, with a 100% sales rate, as all 12 lots sold. The average price per lot was €39,352. These totals and averages exclude Lot 145, the pair of related armchairs mentioned above.
Kudos to Christie’s Paris for engineering another great RLalique sales offering!
*** The phrase “all aboard” originated as a train conductor “get on the train, we’re leaving” warning in the United States. The phrase has nautical origins (which makes sense because in the early 19th century, the majority of the European population in the new world likely arrived by boat :), but was first recorded as being used on trains in 1837 in America, and its use has since spread to other forms of transportation.
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September 11th, 2011
A new and updated edition of the R. Lalique Catalogue Raisonne De L’Oeuvre De Verre by Felix Marcilhac was released this week! Lalique’s works are shown in nearly 4000 photos in the 1064 page 4th Edition. UPDATE: The new Lalique Catalogue Raisonne 2011 Edition is in stock here on the website with a special offer of Free Shipping to buyers in the continental U.S. for orders placed by Pearl Harbor Day 2011!
 The new edition has arrived just in time for RLalique collectors and Rene Lalique enthusiasts needing this great reference work. The last edition was published 7 years ago in 2004. It has been sold out for several years. Actual sale prices have risen north of $750 (sometimes well north) in our R. Lalique For Sale section, and on Ebay for the 2004 Lalique Catalogue Raisonne, and are quoted at over twice that at some online services.
The new edition of R Lalique, released in the last week, has a suggested retail price of €250, or about $350 at today’s exchange rates. There have already been well over a dozen of these change hands on Ebay at a 5% discount to list, or €237.50 (about $330), plus €70 to €87 (about $100 to $120) of shipping charges for buyers outside of France, where the current sellers are located. So a total delivered price of around $425 to $450.
 The total price still represents a major drop from recent sales of older editions, and while some sellers are still hoping against hope (there is one listing currently on Ebay for a 2004 Edition for $1500), others have quickly brought their prices down below the cost of the new book to reflect the new reality.
A quick summary of the 4 Editions (each new edition adding new and correcting info):
Year: 1989 Dust jacket: Black
Year: 1994 Dust jacket: Blue
Year: 2004 Dust jacket: Red
Year: 2011 Dust jacket: Green
We expect within the next couple of weeks to have this new edition for sale in the Rene Lalique Books section of the site. It is likely that all potential buyers of this book, and especially U.S. buyers, will have their patience rewarded with a decent amount of savings if they wait for the book to appear at what has become THE address on the web for everything R Lalique! UPDATE: The new Lalique Catalogue Raisonne 2011 Edition is in stock here on the website with a special offer of Free Shipping to buyers in the U.S. that purchase by Pearl Harbor Day!
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August 18th, 2011
 In 1860, the year before the American Civil War started, 10 year old Jesse Boot of Nottingham England began helping his mother run the family medicine shop when his father John died. By age 13 he left school to concentrate on his work in the shop. In the ensuing decades, Jesse would turn the single medicine shop into the major national chain Boots the Chemists. 60 years later in 1920, he sold control of the “Chemists to the Nation” to an American company. Jesse died on the Channel Island of Jersey 11 years later in 1931.
Along the way Boot would be knighted Sir Jesse Boot (1909), create a baronet (1917), and in 1929, become Baron Trent of Nottingham, (not as cool as Sheriff, but still a great title:), aka Lord Trent. He did not live to see his son John, the 2nd Baron Trent and his own father’s namesake, re-acquire control of the chain in 1933 in the midst of the depression.
 Boot was also a philanthropist, especially in Nottingham and in Jersey. For one of many examples, he donated the land for what is now the University of Nottingham, which opened in 1928, where the Jesse Boot Chair in Chemistry was named in his honor.
Boot’s wife, Lady Florence Trent (her maiden name was Florence Rowe) survived him. She kept her principal residence in Jersey, the place they had first met. But Lady Trent also kept a residence on the French Riviera in Cannes, where fortuitously, a famous Frenchman also kept a home; a man who like her deceased husband, had achieved phenomenal success satisfying the new consumer demand created by the industrial revolution. Yes readers, Rene Lalique kept a place in Cannes and was a neighbor of Lady Trent.
In 1932, the year after her husband’s death, Lady Trent asked her neighbor to design new interior fittings in glass for the 1840’s era St. Matthew’s Church of Millbrook located just across the road from her Jersey home which she called Villa Millbrook. It was to be a major architectural undertaking in honor of Baron Trent and Lalique agreed to take the commission. Two years later, in 1934, Lalique’s fabulous undertaking was completed and installed in St. Matthew’s, complemented by additional interior modifications by the Jersey architect A.B. Grayson, an accomplished art deco designer, most notably of private homes.
Lalique glass includes the communion rail, communion table, screens, the altar cross and pillars, a Lalique glass font, window and door panels, and a reredos (altar screen). The art deco Lalique design highlights include angelic figures and Jersey lilies.
Today St. Matthew’s remains a functioning community place of worship. But owing to the amazing work of the great Lalique, it is better known worldwide as “The Glass Church”. So it’s also an Art Deco treasure of Jersey and a tourist attraction in addition to being a religious establishment.
Last year, the 170 year old Church commenced its first major renovation in over 70 years. The total cost is estimated at £1,000,000. We were alerted to the renovation a year ago through a BBC article which detailed the renovation project and linked out to three reference sources: the “States of Jersey” website, the “Glass Church” website, and to the “Rene Lalique Worldwide Gathering Place”! How great is that? The overhaul is planned to include:
Conservation to the Lalique Glass and the supporting structures of the glass.
New roof.
Restoration of the bell housing and bells.
Replace the electrical wiring and update the lighting.
New heating system.
Interior redecoration and new landscaping.
 An organization named The Friends of the Glass Church has been set-up under the auspices of the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey, Lieutenant General Andrew Ridgway, to raise funds for the renovations. They have already raised approximately £140,000 toward the project. Updating of the roof was finished in 2010. Also the States of Jersey has approved a matching funds grant of £125,000. Phase two, which is the refurbishment of the bell tower, bells, and some asbestos removal, should be completed in early October, at which time the church will re-open.
Details of how you can contribute to the project can be found at the Friends of the Glass Church website or the Church’s website, both of which are linked previously. We urge you to consider generously supporting this uniquely Rene Lalique effort.
We spoke with church officials in preparation for this article and were given the following visitor information:
Visitors are welcome at the Church Monday thru Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. The Church is closed on Saturdays. Regular services are held on Sunday at 11:00 AM and visitors are welcome to attend.
 St. Matthew’s home, the island of Jersey has a rich history owing to its location between France and England. It has a population of around 100,000, and both French and English are spoken there. Jersey is a separate possession of the crown; it’s a dependency and not part of the United Kingdom. It even has its own currency, though several other currencies also circulate on the island. It’s a crossroads of cultures and activities.
If you plan to visit, almost everything you ever wanted to know about Jersey can be found at their Jersey.com website, including travel, lodging, attraction and activity choices.
And finally, if you’d like to see many examples of architectural elements created by Rene Lalique, check out the Lalique Architectural Glass page in the R. Lalique Catalog here on the website.
All Articles on These Topics: R Lalique Architecture - Rene Lalique Architecture, Rene Lalique Biography, Rene Lalique History and R Lalique History
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July 11th, 2011
WARNING: Immediately after finishing this report, everyone at World Headquarters will be off to the hospital to fix all the broken elbows that occurred today! So the switchboards will be closed, and the email response team will be much slower than their usual glacial response times!
We were checking around what obviously has become the greatest website on the planet (seriously in case you have any doubts, click on this link: GreatestWebsiteOnThePlanet.com or just copy/paste or type that into the address bar of your browser and see where it takes you … incredible really) … anyway, we were trolling about the site to see which of the tons of pages could use updating, and we realized that we had not updated the Testimonial Page for some time. And coincidentally, while we were all around the big conference table voting on which of the scads** of great comments we have received from readers to include in the update, the following appeared in an auction advertisement:
Now readers, does this auctioneer know or does he know? The “Bulletin” is a direct copy from the auction house ad. And just like the Gettysburg Address***, it’s short and to the point. No longwinded testimonials required when you have the elegance of clear thought demonstrated by the ad writer. That ad is such a great testimonial; we may double the pay of the staffer mentioned in the ad. Heck, we may triple it. But even if we do, it will stay the same of course (something about multiplying zero by a whole number …. it’s pretty confusing high level math stuff but what staffer isn’t happy to hear they got a big raise?).
So, with that gem of a compliment in mind we present a sample of the comments that have just been added to The Worldwide (Planetary?) Gathering Place for Rene Lalique Enthusiasts and R Lalique Collectors Testimonial Page:
Hello, I love your site.
I know well rlalique.com, I often visit it. It is great website for the passionate persons!
Hi. You have been most generous in assessing these modest pieces. I appreciate your service and the integrity you bring to the iffy cyberworld of antiquing. Now I will know what to look for the future. THANK YOU.
Hi! Thank you SO MUCH for letting us know! I just tweeted (on Twitter) what you told me! How cool that you let us know what we didn’t know. Love meeting people like you! Thank you again for the info and for the tips!
first bid is in and i am amazed that you even bothered to let me know what i had……………. GOD BLESS YOU
Thank you very much for your time and the information you provided. It is very much appreciated. You gave me some great leads!
Thank you so much for your speedy reply and for the photos of the other plates. What a wonderful job you must have – I hope it is lucrative for you!
thanks much for the feedback and words of wisdom.
I am amazed at the fast and personal response that you’ve given on a free service. Thank you very much.
thanks again, glad to know people like you are out there helping people like me!
Thank you so much for your message Best regards from Paris
Thanks so much for the info and for the referral
Again, many thanks for all you help.
Merci beaucoup pour vos informations!!! Best Regards
THANKS FOR YOUR ADVISE. I APPRECIATE BEST
I frequently visit the R Lalique website – it is a great reference site.
Bonsoir, un grand merci pour votre mail et les informations complémentaires que vous m’avez données.
A bientôt.
bonsoir
je vous remercie pour vos conseils et du site Rlalique
cordialement
Thanks a lot,
Best regards and thank you again for this
Thank you so very much.
Your most Kind.
just wish to express my appreciation for your assistance thank you very much and your website is excellent certainly learning a lot kind regards
Bonjour et merci beaucoup pour ces informations précieuses
amicalement
Thanks again for all of your hard work. I appreciate it so very much.
Thank you so much!!!
Thanks, you do a great job.
THANK YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Yes, thank you very much. That is exactly what I was looking for.
Thank you very much. Very appreciated. I’ve used your website numerous times to help identify fakes and authentic pieces.
Wow, great. Thanks for the help and info
Thank you for your time and your excellent website information.
WOW!!!, thank you
Thank you so very much for the information . . . I am so glad to finally know WHAT I have.
Thanks what an education you gave me.
you are great thanks for your hard work.
Just wanted to say that your website is great and it is thanks to your information that we found the bowl in the first place.
Keep up the good work!
What a great help – I don’t know if I would ever have found that! Thank you very much
Please receive my compliments and new interest in your site
The services your firm offers are really wonderful.
bonjour, je vous remercie pour ces precisions. Cordialement.
Every comment on the Testimonials Page was taken from emails flowing in from all over the planet (which ties in pretty nicely with the greatest on the planet thing that we started with :). And all joking aside, we really appreciate our readers taking their valuable time to write us with such great feedback.
And lest anyone be wondering if we ever get critical emails, we should let you know that one of our staff members received an email from an apparently deranged individual stating (in three “words” as shown) that the staff member was a “MEG LOW MANIAC”!**** We couldn’t even make this one up. It’s rich. We were scrambling when this was received trying to figure out just what the writer meant. We know ROB LOWE is sometimes talked about like he is a MANIAC (an opinion we do not share), but we checked and he doesn’t have a sister named MEG. Hmmmmmmmm.
Well, we’re off to see the doctor to get those pesky elbow casts to protect ourselves from further “humerus” damage. Oh, almost forgot. How do you break your elbow? Trying to pat yourself on the back of course. 🙂
Until the next time.
** scads: a large quantity of something
*** The Gettysburg Address, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19th, 1863, took about 2 minutes and was under 300 words long. Compare that succinct treasure with modern political speeches.
**** MEG LOW MANIAC: This is really true, we actually got an email that said exactly that. Where the confused writer got that idea we are at a total loss to say. Jeepers,***** we hadn’t even written this post yet. Strange.
***** Jeepers is an informal exclamation of surprise or alarm. Maybe a little stronger than “gee” but not as strong as a cuss word.
Posted in R Lalique Ramblings | No Comments »
July 6th, 2011
 Rene Lalique pieces show many different authentic R. Lalique signatures and we get regular inquiries asking where R. Lalique owners or collectors can go to see samples of actual R. Lalique signatures. In response, we’ve developed a page where readers can review the different signatures found on genuine pieces of R. Lalique. This new page showing how R. Lalique pieces were signed can coincidentally be found at this link: R.Lalique Signatures.
We also thought this would be a good time to answer some questions that come up quite regularly about the signatures found on R Lalique. This is not intended as a comprehensive discussion, but merely to answer common questions about Lalique’s signatures on his R. Lalique glass and other items. Jumping right in:
 1. Is every piece of R. Lalique signed?
In the big picture of Rene Lalique’s works that were produced, by the percentages it is fair to say that the overwhelming majority of R. Lalique was signed in one form or another. However, Lalique produced a lot of pieces, so just a miniscule unsigned percentage can mean that many pieces were not signed with an R. Lalique mark. It appears that architectural items, especially parts of larger installations can be unsigned with some regularity (considering how irregularly these types of pieces appear that is :). And an apparently authentic (and original) piece appears without a signature from time to time. However, it would be a mistake in our opinion for the average collector to think they had found the pot of gold at the end of the Rene Lalique rainbow each time or any time an unsigned something or other popped up represented as R. Lalique, on one of the slim chances mentioned (or not mentioned) above. So we typically advise collectors to proceed in life as if everything was signed and should be signed. Basically, nearly every single piece percentage wise was signed, so why mess around. And when you go to sell, it’s usually much better to have a signed piece of R. Lalique than an academic explanation of why the unsigned piece is authentic. Note: The apparent cire perdue vase shown here appeared at auction advertised as unsigned and sold for over $100,000. We didn’t have the vase in-hand, so we don’t know one way or the other if it was in fact an unlikely unsigned R. Lalique Cire Perdue vase. However, it appears that at least two bidders were satisfied on the subject.
2. Does every authentic signature contain the phrase “R Lalique”?
  No, not all signatures or marks contain the phrase “R. Lalique”. Some exceptions would be jewelry with metal backing is many times stamped LALIQUE in the metal, and may or may not be signed on the glass.
 There are 2 different VDA molded marks, one with FRANCE molded under it and one without FRANCE. VDA stands for Verrerie D’Alsace which is French for Alsatian Glassware. There’s also the Masque mark shown here. These 3 marks do not say R. Lalique. There are also some pieces signed just Lalique in the glass, either inscribed or in the mold. And there are a small number of items with just R L in the mold. Those are mainly (but not always) perfume bottles with small bases. So while most of what appears is signed R Lalique in one form or another, many pieces are signed differently.
3. Is each example of the same R. Lalique model signed the same way, or can the same models have different signatures?
Many models can be found with different signatures that were used over time. It seems that the more popular a piece, or the longer it was in production, the more different signatures are seen.
4. Is it true that no R. Lalique piece has “Made In France” signed on it?
No, there are a few pieces that have the phrase “Made In France”. For example, some Palmes Vases have a molded R. Lalique and Made In France on the underside as shown here. Another example is one of the Figurines Atomizers with a similar molded signature. Also some Tzigane Perfume Bottles for Corday are molded BOTTLE MADE IN FRANCE R. LALIQUE.
5. Do any R.Lalique pieces have more than one signature or mark?
Yes, a good number of pieces (but again, small percentage wise in terms of overall production) have more than one signature. Three examples:
 A. We sometimes see pieces with molded signatures that are perfectly readable, with a full R. Lalique France engraved or etched signature present as well. On the R. Lalique Signatures Page linked in the first paragraph above, we currently have a couple examples of double signatures at the end of the page, and more may be added over time.
B. The molded signature is faint or unreadable, so an inscribed signature is added. This is pretty typical on the Escargot Vase for example, where the molded signature is often quite faint, and a script Lalique is added. Shown here is a Courges Vase with the added script Lalique, as well as multiple signatures relevant to the following paragraph.
C. Whatever instrument or technique was used to impress an intaglio signature skipped (or who knows what), and more than one signature was impressed in the piece. We have seen up to six identifiable signatures on one piece. Shown following is a somewhat typical Courges Vase signature, a model that is often seen with multiple signatures.
6. When a piece is signed in script: R Lalique France #888, what does the number stand for?
This is the Rene Lalique et Cie model number to identify the model of the piece, which in this case is a Sauterelles Vase.
 7. Do all pieces contain the word France in the signature?
No. Early produced pieces do not contain the word France. Our understanding is that no later than with the Tariff Act of 1930, the United States required the country of origin to be marked on imported goods. The USA being the biggest import market in the world on an overall basis at that time (and it still is the largest by far to this day (2019) if you were wondering), stuff all over the world that might be exported started getting the country of origin marked on it at the time of manufacture. This would naturally include Lalique’s great pieces.
8. Are any pieces signed “Rene Lalique”?
Well, never say never. But we are joining the Missouri crowd on this one….. show me.
9. Where were R. Lalique pieces signed?
In France of course!
Seriously, Lalique’s signature appears in many different places on his R. Lalique pieces. They can be signed on the bottom half of the side of a vase for example, anywhere on the underside of the base of nearly any piece, right in the design somewhere, or on the edge of something such as the edge of a box cover or on the side edge of the upper part of a disk shaped seal.
10. Were any pieces made after the death of Rene Lalique signed with an R. Lalique signature?
After World War II, small numbers of pieces were made from old molds that incorporated a molded R. Lalique signature before these molds were updated. However, most of these pieces were also given a modern Lalique France signature to indicate they were post war production. Notable among models that fall into this category are the Coq Nain Car Mascot, the Perche Car Mascot, the Sanglier Car Mascot, the Tete D’Aigle Car Mascot, the Saint-Christophe Car Mascot (all marketed only as paperweights post-war), the Quatre Perruches Frame (also used pre-war only for the Inseparables Clock), and Marienthal Plates. The Meudon Box has been seen several times with the molded R. Lalique signature on the side of the top, but the bottom is engraved Lalique France indicating it was produced after the war. And we have seen the Worth “Stars” Dans La Nuit Perfume Bottle with the molded R. LALIQUE signature but then with an engraved Lalique France as well. Keep in mind that the added post-war signature on any of these examples could later be polished off by an unscrupulous person, leaving only the molded R. Lalique signature. In addition to the above, there are also the molded R. Lalique CREATION signatures on some perfume bottles where the word CREATION tells you it’s post-war.
Further Discussion, Summary, And Resources
If readers that check out the page of Lalique’s signatures have photos of signatures or variations we are missing on that page, please email those in using the link and directions on the signature page. And if you have a question omitted here, or additional information you feel is important to this discussion, please email us using that same link.
 If you are looking for examples of faked, forged, and copied R. Lalique signatures, see them on our site at this link: Faked, Forged, and Copied R Lalique Signatures! You’ll find that many of those faked signatures are quite good
In that regard, we wrap up this article with our constant admonition: Signatures do not authenticate pieces, it’s the other way around. Pieces authenticate signatures. Make a decision about the piece first, and then see if the signature fits. Just because a signature looks right, does not mean it is right. And signatures in most cases are far easier to fake than authentic pieces.
To put an emphasis on this point, once or twice a year we see authentic pieces with forged signatures! Usually it’s clearly an attempt to “boost” the signature from what the person thinks is a modern signature to a pre-war signature when no such boost is necessary. For example, a great early vase that was originally signed just Lalique on the lower part of the side in script, and someone adds the R. in front not realizing they have a great and rare thing that does not require further enhancement. And then there’s the example shown here, where someone not knowing that the great molded VDA (without FRANCE) or VDA FRANCE signatures are authentic R. Lalique marks, decides to improve things a bit with an R. Lalique addition. And there is also the occasional piece that for whatever reason (never signed originally, minor polishing or major repair or wear and tear removed the original signature, etc.) that has just a forged signature and none other.
So enjoy your collecting, but do it with your eyes open!
All Articles on These Topics: Articles of Interest to R Lalique Collectors, R Lalique - Rene Lalique Authentication, R Lalique Cire Perdue And Rene Lalique Cire Perdue
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June 26th, 2011
In only one week, on July 2nd, the Musée Lalique will open to the public in Wingen-sur-Moder as a National Museum of France to honor the French national treasure Rene Lalique. This is the third in a series of articles about the new museum based around an interview with Museum Director Veronique Brumm. Previous articles are accessible at Musée Lalique – 1, and Musée Lalique – 2.
In our first two articles, Veronique discussed her background and how she came to be the Director of the Musée Lalique. She also told us about the background of the Musée and described its operational and organizational structure. In this third article, we focus on subjects related to the imminent opening of the Musee Lalique!
 Hello Veronique. Can you tell us about the layout and structure of the museum space and grounds and how it relates to the focus and purpose of the museum? Will there be special or temporary exhibitions or just a big permanent one?
The Musée Lalique has been created on a former glassmaking site that operated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It will therefore include a renovated section but a new building is also under construction to accommodate the permanent exhibition and the equipment rooms. The permanent exhibition space will extend over 900 m² while the temporary exhibition room has a surface area of 200 m².
We will show jewels, of course but the heart of the museum will be devoted to glass because the link of Lalique with Alsace is glass. We will show perfume bottles, tableware, and we will also show the great themes that inspired René Lalique, particularly the female body and flora and fauna (birds, fish, snakes, beetles, bats). These motifs adorn vases, bowls, clocks, radiator caps and glassware for the table.
His creative genius, his industrial talent and, of course, his imagination, are all brought to the fore here. The creations of his successors, Marc and Marie-Claude Lalique, and from today’s design studio, are also on display. Finally, a special tribute is paid to the men and women who perpetuate glass-making skills at Wingen-sur-Moder today. The museum presentation aims to combine pleasure, discovery and learning. The museum is designed not just to showcase art objects, but also to teach. The pictures and audiovisual and multimedia documents that energize the sequence are also designed to help visitors relate to the artistic, cultural, social and technical context in which the works were created. It is hoped that they will arouse curiosity and open up new vistas.
 Naturally, the Musée Lalique has all the facilities one would expect to find in a museum created at the dawn of the twenty-first century. In addition to spaces for permanent and temporary exhibitions and storerooms, We have planned a café and a shop where visitors will be able not only to buy postcards, books and other related products, but also items of Lalique crystal. We also have an 85-seat auditorium where we will show a film on the history of René Lalique or his expertise, as well as specific programs in line with temporary exhibitions. This auditorium will also enable us to organize cycles of conferences and symposia. In addition, we have the advantage of three rooms to host educational workshops. A broad range of activities will be offered for children.
I would also like to talk about the gardens. The museum is set in quite remarkable landscaped grounds and we have undertaken significant work with the landscape designers to ensure that the choice of species offers a reminder of the natural world that so inspired René Lalique. Two gardens have been laid out, one with a pronounced floral character, the other one more wooded. They contain a selection of plants that will help visitors see the connection between Lalique’s art and nature, which he so loved to observe. We also offer an explanatory trail that will enable visitors to understand that it is located on a former glassmaking site and link in with the local glassmaking tradition.
Will visitors be able to take a factory tour of the modern Lalique company factory to see crystal being made?
The factory is unfortunately not open to visitors.
How will the museum acquire objects in the future to add to its collection?
The Musée Lalique project is very particular in that it was born of the desire to create a museum and not a collection. This means that, in 2002, there were already plans for the museum, but no works. Bit by bit, an acquisition policy has been developed. We are trying to continue to develop our collection with the support of the Département du Bas-Rhin, Région Alsace and the State as sponsors. Our acquisition policy is based on the museum’s scientific and cultural aspirations but also depends on market opportunities. It’s important to stress that, prior to any acquisition, we undertake a price study – based on the results of sales in past years.
In our first article, you said that the Musée owns around 400 pieces and will show around 650 for the opening exhibition. Can you provide a few more details?
We bought our first item in 2002! And among the last pieces we bought were the surtout Deux Cavaliers and a lustre Passiflore. In addition to pieces we own, we will have many loans both from private collections, the Lalique Company, and also loans from other museums; especially from the Musée des Arts décoratifs de Paris.
Will you have either porcelain or crystal items from Suzanne, Marc or Marie Claude on exhibit?
Yes, we want to display the work of Suzanne, Marc and Marie-Claude in its best light. We are also planning to organize an exhibition devoted specifically to Suzanne, an exhibition that will, of course, feature her work in the field of glass and porcelain, but which will also enable us to demonstrate her contribution to the fields of textiles, painting and the theatre.
Can you preview a highlight or two of special items in your opening exhibition?
I could mention several, but I’d prefer to put the accent on two cire perdue works: the decorative Dolphin motif created in 1912, on the one hand, and the entwined Cherubs that adorn Mrs. Paquin’s dining room, on the other. I’d also like to give a special mention to a work by Marc Lalique: a monumental chandelier – almost 3 meters high and 2 meters in diameter – exhibited at the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts in 1951, which will adorn the entrance hall of our museum.
Will the museum lend its own items to exhibitions around the world in the future?
For the time being, our collections are not sufficiently large in number to allow us to part with our items, but we hope to be able to do so in the not too distant future.
 How far a drive is the museum from Paris and what is the best way for a visitor to get to the museum if they are visiting from the UK, from France, or from overseas?
By car, Wingen-sur-Moder is around 4 hours from Paris. The high speed train is also an excellent way to get to Alsace – stations in Strasbourg, Saverne and Saarbrücken (D). Wingen-sur-Moder is situated on the Strasbourg-Sarreguemines-Saarbrücken railway line. There are also several airports nearby: Strasbourg, Saarbrücken, Zweibrucken and Baden-Baden.
What will be the cost of admission?
6 € for adults, 5 for group (more than 15 persons), 3 € for children.
What will be the days of the week and hours the Musée will be open?
April-September everyday from 10 am to 7 pm; from October to March from Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm; closed in January.
How much time should a visitor plan to spend on the site?
The tour of the museum itself should take around one and a half to two hours. But thanks to the full service that we offer – gardens, café, etc. – we hope that the visitor will spend more time with us. We are also working with other sites in the area to offer collective tickets, passports, etc. to encourage the visitor to explore and spend time in our beautiful region.
If someone wanted to make a donation of any item to the museum, whom would they contact?
We are quite happy to accept loans, deposits and donations. I can be reached by e-mail: veronique.brumm@musee-lalique.com, telephone: 00 33 3 88 89 08 14 or by post: Musée Lalique – 29, rue de Zittersheim – 67290 Wingen-sur-Moder – France.
 Is there any information not covered by our questions that you would like to convey?
We hope to reach lovers and collectors of Lalique works through comprehensive scientific work, but we also hope to bring them to the largest possible audience. To do so, we offer various levels of lectures and diverse mediation tools. Although we will pay particular attention to the quality of the display cabinets and the lighting, we will also be using modern museum techniques: video guide, multimedia, large format photography etc.
In addition, we want to welcome an international audience: our texts will therefore be not only in French, but also in German and English. Likewise for the video guide.
As far as content is concerned, I also find it important to stress that we will be very keen to situate Lalique’s work in its context – Art Nouveau, Art Deco Movement etc. Manufacturing techniques also will be discussed and homage will be paid to the men and women who still today, perpetuate the know-how in Wingen-sur-Moder.
Veronique, we appreciate your time in answering our questions and sharing your expertise with our readers, and we wish you well in this great endeavor. Hopefully you will get some sleep in the week leading up to the opening.
We will talk again with Veronique just after the Musée opens to the public and we’ll plan to follow-up with a final Musée Grand Opening article, discussing the opening and possibly additional travel and area details for visitors.
* Editor’s Note: On July 1st, the day before the official opening to the public, there is inaugural opening for invited guests. We managed to wrangle one of those invitations from a serious mucky-muck ** VIP on the down-low ***, so that we could photograph it and our readers could see one for themselves. That is the invitation pictured above.
** The urban dictionary defines mucky-muck as: A pompous person of importance! Of course, it can be real or imagined self-importance. Which of those fits the person we got the invite from? Opinions vary.
*** down-low is an American slang describing an activity that is kept discreet. Often shortened to “DL”.
Photo Credits:
Veronique Brumm: David Desaleux
Architect’s Concept: Wilmotte- Artefactory
Invitation to VIP Opening: Downlow
Map of France: Wikipedia – Eric Gaba
Musee Construction: David Desaleux
All Articles on These Topics: R Lalique and Rene Lalique News, Rene Lalique Museums: R Lalique Museum Collections
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June 21st, 2011
The Country of France is set to honor the Great Lalique with the opening of the new Musée Lalique to the public on July 2nd. This is the second in a series of articles about the new Lalique Museum structured around a long running interview with the Director of the new Museum, Veronique Brumm. Lalique Museum Opening will take you to the first article in this series! As you will learn below, the new Musée Lalique is not just a Lalique Museum in France. It is a Lalique Museum of France.
 In our first article, we presented some photos of the site that would become the new Musée Lalique, and the architect’s concept of what the final project would look like. We accompany this article with photos of the Musée in progress as it moves from that original site toward the architectural plan. This is basically our “nuts and bolts” article, where we show the nuts and bolts of the construction of the Museum, and where we talk with Veronique about the nuts and bolts of the organization that created the Museum.
We left off the introduction to the interview in our first article with Veronique explaining that she is an historian by training, with a specialty in glassmaking in the very region where Rene Lalique established his glass factory after World War 1.
Veronique, can you tell us more about your background?
 In my training, I was not only interested in the history of glassmaking in Wingen-sur-Moder, where the Lalique factory is still operating today, but also in that of Saint-Louis whose reputation speaks for itself; Meisenthal, known for having worked for Emile Gallé; and Goetzenbruck, which specialised in watch glasses and later in optical glass.
I then did a masters on the professions of cultural development and tourism. In this context, I undertook an internship at the Glass Centre at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, an internship that confirmed my interest in glass.
I complemented this professional masters with a masters oriented towards research. It covered the development of the glass and crystal making heritage in Lorraine. I then chose to do a doctorate in information and communication sciences focusing on museology and cultural mediation. The subject of my thesis was the development of the heritage of the glass and crystal making industry in Europe. In this context, I looked into what makes us come to consider an industry, in this instance glass and crystal making, as a form of heritage and the way this manifests itself.
 After completing my studies, I had the opportunity to work with the Conseil Général du Bas-Rhin. In the context of this mission, I was the curator of a Lalique exhibition held during the summer of 2006 at the Château de Lichtenberg, a few kilometres from Wingen-sur-Moder. I then had the good luck to cultivate an interest in the scientific aspects of the museum project. Gradually, my tasks have become more diversified.
Veronique, what have been your duties in conjunction with the Musee up until this time (June 2011)?
As project leader, my tasks are particularly varied. I continue to work on the scientific aspects: putting the collection together, research on René, Suzanne, Marc and Marie-Claude Lalique, on techniques, definition of the museum tour, writing the texts for the museum and more.
In addition, I’m very involved with the building site and work closely with the architects in order that the museum makes it possible not only to display Lalique’s works in the best light possible, but is also functional.
 I’m also busy with the administrative and financial aspects of the project. This means, for example, that I prepare and monitor all decisions taken by the Board of Directors, that I prepare the budget, handle requests for subsidies, and other similar matters.
The question of partnerships is also one of my major concerns, whether these are partnerships with the project’s backers, the Lalique Company, the lenders, etc.
How is the museum structured for operations? Do you report to a board of directors? Do you have a staff? Are there public officials involved? Is it a non-profit organization? How is the museum funded?
 The Musée Lalique is a public project, supported by the local authorities: Région Alsace, Département du Bas-Rhin, Communauté de Communes du Pays de La Petite Pierre and Commune de Wingen-sur-Moder.
These authorities have joined forces to create the Syndicat Mixte du Musée Lalique. Today, this is the client for the project and, in the future, it will be responsible for its management.
These authorities handle funding for the project of 11.3 million euros with support from the State and from Europe. Therefore, although we have an excellent relationship with the Lalique Company, we are not a company museum.
Our organisation is non-profit making. The authorities mentioned previously have even put their heads together to ascertain on which cost allocation base it would fund a possible operating shortfall.
 For the administrative organisation of the Syndicat Mixte, I should say that it’s managed by a Board of Directors composed of eleven members representing the four financial backers. It is chaired by a President, Mr Gaston Dann, and two Vice-Presidents. It is to them who I report on my work.
Regarding the team, there are four of us at the present time (February 2010): two part-time staff in the secretariat, a conservation assistant and a person in charge of tourist promotion and communication.
Is the Musée Lalique a National Museum sanctioned by the French government? And if so, what benefits does the National Museum status provide?
The Musée Lalique was awarded the “Musée de France” appellation (name or title) in 2007. Therefore, it isn’t a National Museum administered directly by the State, but the “Musée de France” label testifies to the quality of the project, both from the point of view of its collections and the conditions of preventive conservation and security. In France, this label is the sine qua non for securing loans or deposits from other museums.
The “Musée de France” appellation also enables us to take advantage of financial support from the Fonds Régional d’Acquisition pour les Musées, in other words State subsidies for acquisitions.
 Veronique, so that our readers will understand the importance of the “Musée de France” designation, can you tell us the names of some of the other Musées de France?
Among the other museums with the “Musée de France” label, we should mention the Louvre, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Musée d’Orsay and the Quai Branly museum in Paris.
An interviewer’s note that it was the Museum of Decorative Arts which purchased several works directly from Rene Lalique himself in the early 1900’s; its curators having the foresight to recognize the great treasure of France even 100 years ago. And it is with Veronique’s mention of the lofty company of the world class museums in which the Musée Lalique finds itself, that we depart this interview for now, until the publication of the next article in this series (article 3) which will appear shortly.
Photo Credits:
Snow Photo: Musée Lalique
Scaffold Photo: Communauté de Communes du Pays de La Petite Pierre
Inside Photo: Musée Lalique
Crane Photo 1: Stadler
Crane Photo 2: Musée Lalique
Courtyard Photo: Musée Lalique
Overhead View Photo: Stadler
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June 12th, 2011
Lalique Museum Becomes A Reality: A Musée de France dedicated to Rene Lalique to Open July 2nd!
 It was over two years ago that we reported the news on these pages that the long-awaited ground breaking ceremony for the new Musée Lalique had taken place on November 8th, 2008. How long-awaited? Here is a photo* from 2003 of the site which 8 years later is the location for the new Lalique Museum.
We put forth our view in that early 2009 article that an official museum in France dedicated to Rene Lalique would be great news for all R Lalique and Rene Lalique Enthusiasts and Collectors.
Well readers, good news is upon us. For after nearly 2 and 1/2 years of construction, and many more years of planning even before that time, the new Musée Lalique will open its doors to the public on July 2nd, 2011 in the small town of Wingen Sur Moder in the historic glassmaking region of Alsace.
 Wingen Sur Moder, located in the northeastern part of France near the border with Germany, is also the home of the great Lalique glassmaking factory opened by Rene Lalique in 1921. This factory survived German occupation in World War II, and it still operates today making leaded crystal for the modern Cristal Lalique Company, a company officially called Lalique SA. Just above is a 2007 photo of the future site, this time with a building that has a roof :).**
And during these last couple of years while construction progressed, many supporters, contributors and readers of this website have jumped-in to assist the Musée in various ways as it built its collection, its research library, and its opening exhibition inventory. You can read about a few of the R.Lalique enthusiasts who worked with the Musée on the About Us page at RLalique.com.
Following is a pre-construction design concept for the Musée on the site shown in the two preceding photos. The concept appears to be true to the architecture and history of the area, and to the beauty and rural nature of the natural surroundings. ***
We will publish more information about the Musée Lalique between now and the early part of July. And we thought it would be a good idea in conjunction with this announcement to give you a short introduction to an interview which will form the basis for those upcoming articles.
It was over a year and a half ago, in the cold of winter (not really too cold at World Headquarters, but cold in a lot of other places according to news reports :), that we began interviewing Veronique Brumm, the Project Leader who began working on the Musée Lalique many years ago.
 Veronique’s involvement with almost all facets of the creation of the Musée over an extended time period made her the best choice for us to bring detailed, informative, and up-to-date information and news to you concerning the Musée now that the opening is imminent. Note that Veronique answered our most recently submitted questions just two weeks ago!
Keep in mind as we go forward the next several weeks that the interview has been slightly edited for all the typical reasons including the flow of the articles, combining answers, and accounting for the different times the questions were asked. However, no facts have been altered. Here is the short intro:
Veronique, what is your official title now (2010) and what will it be when the Musée opens?
Project Leader is my official title, and when the Musée opens, my title and responsibility will be Director.
How long have you been working on the Musée Lalique project?
I’ve been working on the Musée Lalique project since 2004.
 Can you tell us about your professional background and how you came to your current role with the museum?
A historian by training, I have focused my research on the history of glassmaking in the Northern Vosges, the region where René Lalique decided to build the Verrerie d’Alsace just after the First World War.
Veronique, can you talk a little about the pieces owned by the Musée and also the items in the opening exhibition?
We now own more or less 400 pieces, and for the opening, we will show more or less 650 items.
The second article in this series will appear in coming days.
* Photo Credit: Communauté de Communes du Pays de La Petite Pierre
** Photo Credit: Communauté de Communes du Pays de La Petite Pierre
*** Photo Credit: Wilmotte – Artefactory
**** Photo of Veronique Brumm, Musée Lalique Director
***** Photo Credit of Car Mascot Display: David Desaleux
All Articles on These Topics: R Lalique and Rene Lalique News, Rene Lalique Museums: R Lalique Museum Collections
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June 7th, 2011
A real Lalique Ebay Eye Roller – Item No. 200616966765, an R-Lalique-Yellow-Perruches-10-Vase. A Rene Lalique Cased Yellow Perruches Vase brought to our attention by alert readers of this website. $1200 no reserve. Great pictures and great description:
R. Lalique Yellow Perruches 10″ “Vase. A translucent yellow glass vase, lightly frosted; relief molded with multiple parakeet couples perched in the trees. A bulbous form tapering towards the base with a thin raised rim at the top. Signed “R. Lalique”; no chips breaks, cracks or repairs. 10″H.
Let’s go back to May 2010, just a short year or so ago. Fontaines Auction Gallery in Pittsfield Massachusetts offers a great looking Perruches Vase! Great pictures can be seen at their online listing. Those photos look awful familiar. The vase sold for $12,000 hammer price. Here is the description from 2010:
 R. Lalique Yellow Perruches 10″ “Vase. A translucent yellow glass vase, lightly frosted; relief molded with multiple parakeet couples perched in the trees. A bulbous form tapering towards the base with a thin raised rim at the top. Signed “R. Lalique”; no chips breaks, cracks or repairs. 10″H.
Does this description sound somewhat similar to the current Ebay listing?
So this is not the kind of Perruches Vase Copy we discuss in the Copies and Close Calls Section of the website. No, it’s the Copy and Paste type copy we put on the R. Lalique Police Page! Let’s face it, it is kind of suspicious.
 But where is the initiative with people today, not even bothering to write a new description? At least correct the typos in the thing if nothing else. Of course the lister had the good sense and free time to cut the watermark off of the bottom of the photos from last year’s listing, which is why some of the Ebay photos seem like the bottom of the vase is cut-off :). And talk about lack of ambition, the old listing had 10 different photos, but for reasons we can only guess at (and we will shortly), the seller on Ebay is using just 9 of them. Here is the missing photo that maybe someone figured with the writing and marks around the signature it can be matched up kind of easy to another photo or a vase. Just an assumption, but whatever the reason it’s missing from the current auction, we supply it here for all our readers to draw their own conclusions!
Get your bids in early and often for the 90% price drop Perruches Vase! Oh, and you get FREE SHIPPING if you are the lucky winner! Local pick-up in Cleveland obviously not an option of course.
Lest anyone wonder if buyers get fooled, it was late last Fall if memory serves us well, that a longtime East Coast U.S. dealer was rumored to have gotten caught as the winning bidder for a Red Poissons Vase on Ebay which turned out to exist only in the photos from a previous auction sale. The red vase photos sold for the too good to be true price of around $7,000!
Now that’s just a rumor of course, but a word to the wise nonetheless: Be careful out there.
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