Archive for the ‘R Lalique and Rene Lalique Auction News and Results’ Category
Rene Lalique Ashtray Lapin: Does Anyone Else Have An Eerie Feeling About This R Lalique Cendrier?
December 20th, 2009
A bit late in the season, but a Halloween ashtray on all levels!
And this from the 100% Positive Feedback “Cowtown USA” seller’s description:” …. THE DISH HAS A CHIP ON THE TOP OF THE LAPINS HEAD …..HARDLY NOTICEABLE WHEN DISPLAYED…… ”
Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 160387582298 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
What a great color! For more information, visit the Rene Lalique Tailor Shop where you’ll find other common R Lalique alterations or damages to look out for.
Oh yea, we almost forgot. If anyone has any comments about this piece, we’re all ears!
February 26th, 2010 Update: Switched Item Link To Cached Image Version
Tags: R Lalique and Rene Lalique Alterations
Posted in R Lalique - Rene Lalique Authentication Identification, R Lalique and Rene Lalique Auction News and Results | 1 Comment »
Rene Lalique Auction Results for R Lalique Glass at Heritage Auction In New York Are Strong
December 11th, 2009
Rene Lalique Auction results were strong once again, this time at Heritage Auctions In New York City on November 10th.
 The Rene Lalique lots in the Heritage Sale (which also included some modern Lalique Crystal pieces) totaled 108 items, of which 90 sold, for a take-up rate of 83%. Total sales for R Lalique including the 19.5% buyer’s premium were $487,410, making the average sold lot price $5,416. This total includes two lots of R Lalique and related books and other publications, which bring the average down slightly.
As is typical, the great Rene Lalique Vases led the way both for high prices and for total dollar sales. High seller by nearly a 50% margin over the 2nd place lot(s), was the stunning Rene Lalique Deco Vase Serpent in Amber Glass, which brought a premium inclusive price of $47,800.
 Four other vases tied for 2nd place at $31,070 all-in: Borromee in Blue Glass, the large Palestre Vase in clear and frosted glass covered with gray patina, and the deco black enameled vases Tourbillons and Oranges, both in clear and frosted glass. 6th place in the money department went to the Rene Lalique Car Mascot Victoire that made $26,290 including the premium.
Things dropped off a bit after that, with the next 5 high sellers making between $13,000 and $15,000 all-in. This group was a mixed bunch consisting of the vases Milan in Green Glass and Aigrettes in Olive Green Glass, the car mascot Longchamps A, the luminaire Tulipes (a lighted plaque on a metal stand), and the statue Grand Nue Longue Cheveux Socle Lierre (Grand Nue).
 All told and all-in there were 12 lots above $10,000 accounting for $278,435 or about 56 percent of the total dollars for the 92 sold lots, with the 12th high seller being Lot No. 1, the rare Lezards Perfume bottle, which made $11,950.
The sale total for Rene Lalique at this Heritage Sale would place this auction third in the year 2009 for total R Lalique sales at a single auction. First place goes to the Lalique Jewelry (and Lalique Chalice) sold at Christies New York on October 21st where just six lots made about $1,778,000. Second place would be the November 11th Lalique Auction at Christies South Kensington in London where 120 lots (of which 11 did not sell) made a sale total for R Lalique of about $750,000.
All-in-all a great result and another in a long string of strong Rene Lalique Auction results showing the depth of popularity for the works of Rene Lalique as they continue to perform well worldwide at auction.
Tags: R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, R Lalique Vases and Rene Lalique Vases, Rene Lalique Car Mascots and R Lalique Car Mascots, Rene Lalique Statues Figurines: R Lalique Statues
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Lalique Jewelry Auction: Rene Lalique Brooch Roses at Sothebys Makes Several Times Estimate
December 10th, 2009
Rene Lalique Jewelry continued its trend of strong auction sales prices yesterday in the November 9, 2009 Magnificent Jewels Sale at Sothebys New York. The wonderful Lalique Roses Brooch made from diamonds, pearls, glass, and enamel, and which has graced the home page of RLalique.com for the last several weeks, sold as Lot 88 for $86,500 all-in against a pre-sale estimate of $20,000 to $30,000! This continues the estimate crushing trend of auction prices garnered by unique Rene Lalique jewelry and other unique works created in the late 19th Century and early in the 20th Century.
Further details concerning this jewel of a brooch can be found in the RLalique.com Rene Lalique Auction Results page for the brooch, or by first going to the Lalique Auctions Past section of the website. Additionally, Rene Lalique Jewelry will take you to all articles in the RLalique.com News and Blog which relate to the unique jewelry creations of Rene Lalique, and Rene Lalique Biography will get you detailed information about the rise of Rene Lalique in the late 1800’s to become the world’s most celebrated jeweler.
Finally, you’ll find in our Rene Lalique Auctions Section that more unique jewellery of Rene Lalique, including the wonderful gold and enamel figural brooch pictured here, is on tap for late January in the UK.
Tags: R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, Rene Lalique Jewelry and R Lalique Jewelry
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Rene Lalique Auctions: 100 Rene Lalique Lots At Heritage Auction Sale on December 10th In New York City
November 25th, 2009
Lalique Auctions are finishing the year on a strong note with a string of great Rene Lalique auctions results leading into the holiday period as we close out 2009.
As of this writing 82 different auction sales around the world featuring the work of Rene Lalique are listed in the Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide Section of the site to occur between now and year-end. The largest of these upcoming sales is by far the sale of Rene Lalique glass and other objects put together by Lalique Expert Nicholas Dawes in his new role as a consignment director for Heritage Auctions of Dallas, which is now the third largest auction house in the world (measured by sales volume).
 Heritage and Mr. Dawes have put together a wide-ranging selection of Rene Lalique pieces represented by 100 RLalique lots to be auctioned in a New York City sale on December 10th.
Notable among the offerings are the famous Rene Lalique Vases that make up nearly half the lots. The Heritage sampling includes 3 colored Perruches Vases (the great looking red one is pictured here in case you missed it :), a Borromee Vase in the highly desirable “Borromee Blue” color, two colored Archers Vases, the stunning Amber Serpent Vase, and matched pair of the rare 1911 designed vase Frise Aigles. There is also a great selection of smaller colored vases including a teal Gui, a deep green Courlis, and two different colored Moissac vases.
 Rene Lalique Statues is another strong section of the sale, featuring both yellow and opalescent Suzannes, an Opalescent Thais, an opalescent Moyenne Voilee, a Grand Nue Lierre and others.
Rene Lalique Perfume Bottles include a rare Lezards bottle, and Lalique’s Car Mascots include a good-looking pair of Longchamps (one of each version) and a Vitesse.
Rene Lalique Clocks are represented by the clock Inseparables, and there are also drawings, jewelry, tableware, boxes, seals, ashtrays, and an inkwell. There is something for just about every different collecting area of the works of the great Rene Lalique.
One notable tableware item is the rare Coupe Sirenes. This is great design that most collectors will not see in their lifetime. As always though, carefully check out the condition of any item, including this one, before bidding.
 All told, a near tour de force of the commercial production works of Rene Lalique with a high percentage of rare colored pieces, highly desirable collector lots, some hard to find items, and a few unique drawings and a great mirror in the mix to complete a well rounded and high quality sale.
Contact information for the sale and a link to the Heritage website can be found in our Rene Lalique Auctions Section.
Tags: R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, R Lalique Vases and Rene Lalique Vases, Rene Lalique Clocks and R Lalique Clocks, Rene Lalique Perfume Bottles - R Lalique Perfumes, Rene Lalique Statues Figurines: R Lalique Statues
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Lalique Jewellery: Rene Lalique Auction Sales Prices Continue Strong
November 18th, 2009
Rene Lalique Jewelry at Auction continues it’s string of strong sales performances with a couple of nice Rene Lalique jewelry items at Sothebys Geneva putting in another strong showing for Lalique auction sales.
Sothebys had two Lalique jewellery “gems” in their November 17th sale of Magnificent Jewels. Frenzied bidding from an overflow crowd and busy phone lines were the rule of day for this sale of great jewellery, and the works of Rene Lalique were no exception!
The first Lalique offering, selling as Lot 368, was the Lalique pansy motif Sautior, consisting of 15 pansy decorations, separated by white enamel and yellow gold baton links. This elegant Lalique Sautior held a detachable pocket watch decorated on the bezel with foliate plique à jour, and on the back with pansy flowers. The Sautior is pictured in the 1987 exhibition book The Jewellery of Rene Lalique**. Against a rather wide but spot-on estimate of CHF 100,000 to 150,000, this great Rene Lalique jewellery object made an all-in price of CHF 152,500, or about $151,000 U.S. Dollars.
 Equally cool, though not as unique or as valuable, the circa 1911 production brooch Grenouilles appeared as Lot 369. This is a typical glass brooch from the time of larger production of Lalique’s glass decorative and useful items. Its Catalogue Raisonne number is 1357. The brooch was estimated at CHF 6,000 to 9,000, and made an all-in price of CHF 10,000, or nearly the same in U.S. Dollars. A great result for a production brooch, and anyway you look at it, a strong and high auction price for a strikingly designed object.
You can learn more about Rene Lalique and his rise to become the most celebrated jeweler of his day, at our Rene Lalique biography page, or by going to the Rene Lalique Jewelry tag here in the Blog, where you will find all the informative and well illustrated articles we have written which relate to the great Lalique’s jewelry creations.
** You can also find the rare and fascinating 1987 exhibition book The Jewellery of Rene Lalique in the Rene Lalique Exhibition Books and Catalogues Section of the Rene Lalique Library here at RLalique.com. The catalogue is in English, is near 200 pages, and has approximately 235 great photos of Rene Lalique Jewelry and of Lalique’s Drawings. A great resource for both wonderful photos and detailed information about Rene Lalique and his jewellery.
Tags: R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, Rene Lalique Jewelry and R Lalique Jewelry
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Rene Lalique Cire Perdue Vase Appears in France: A Unique Lalique Vase
November 15th, 2009
What place unites a Rene Lalique Cire Perdue Vase, old British Pounds, LaCoste clothing, Roman roads, medieval measuring, Thomas Jefferson, the French Revolution, and Peter the Great? Huh?
Here is a brief historical review!
Before the decimalization of the British currency in 1971, one British Pound Sterling equaled 20 Shillings composed of 12 Pence each, or a total of 240 Pence to the Pound. OK, you might be thinking, what does this have to do with a Lalique Cire Perdue Vase appearing in France? Well, we have to digress a bit.
 The historical origin of the old British currency was the fact that the weight of a British Penny was 1/240th of a Troy pound of sterling silver. This measuring system of the weight of a penny, or Pennyweight, which is abbreviated as dwt (the d in dwt stands for the old Roman silver coin Denarius) traces its origin to medieval times, and to this day a Troy Ounce contains 20 dwt. There being 12 Troy Ounces to an old Troy pound, that would make 240 dwt or pennies to the pound. And there you have a bit of the origin of the pre-decimal British currency; Troy pounds and Troy ounces!
Now sadly, the Troy pound has fallen out of use* as a measurement factor, giving way to the globalization (before the term even existed) of currency units to the monetary equivalent of the library book organization system of Melvil Dewey (the Dewey Decimal System) wherein units of 100 are of prime importance. Monetarily, there are no countries left in the world that have not gone “currency decimal” **. If only Peter The Great had known what he was starting in 1710 when he set the value of a Russian Ruble at 100 Kopecks!
But while the Troy Pound has been tossed on the dust heap of history (the Troy Pound was booted in England in 1878), the Troy Ounce survives, mainly used today for measuring the weight of precious metals and gemstones. In the UK for example, the Troy Ounce measuring system is exempt from the wave of metrification that has swept away the old measuring systems on the islands. Apparently dentists and jewelers (and central bank types:) have some political pull in the UK!
 And why do we care even a “plugged nickel’s” *** worth about all this currency business? Because the namesake of the Troy measuring system is an old Roman crossroads town and trading center in northeastern France, about 100 miles from Paris, where the Troy measuring system had its earliest known use. The name of this small city which today is comprised of around 60,000 people? Troyes! What a coincidence! And it is there, dear readers, in the hometown of the great French alligator fashion house LaCoste, in Troyes France, that the Rene Lalique Cire Perdue Vase which is the subject of this story, has appeared!
 One more short step backwards in time: In 1930, Rene Lalique created two similar Lalique Cire Perdue Vases in succession, CP 566 Feuilles De Lierre Dentelees, and CP 567, Feuilles De Lierre Pointues. Both these cire perdue vases were exhibited in October 1931 at Galarie Rouard in Paris. CP 566 appeared almost exactly 6 years ago, on November 24th, 2003 at the Tajan auction house in Paris. It was listed by Tajan as being 18 cm tall and it’s pictured here. It sold as Lot 3 in their sale for €73,403 all-in, several times the estimate of €20,000-€25,000. Note that in November 2003, €73,000 was around $100,000. It’s also rumored authoritatively that the runner-up bid on CP 566 was placed from a phone in the desert, just a few miles from RLalique.com World Headquarters!
CP 567, the pointed leafed mate of the softer designed CP 566 is the lalique cire perdue vase that is being offered in Troyes on November 22nd!
A bit worse for the wear, CP 567, shown in the large photo at the beginning of this article, has had a few hard knocks in life. It’s missing some pieces, including a large chunk of glass out of the top rim, and the ends of some leaves. And there are other miscellaneous condition issues. The vase is 17.2 cm tall, with comparable width, which gives it a decent scope as far as Lalique’s Cire Perdue is concerned. The estimate on this vase is only €2,000-€2,500 a mere 1/10 the estimate of its mate. The estimate seems a tad on the low side, even considering the extensive condition issues. But of course, if you are considering bidding, as always, you should investigate all relevant matters directly.
Might be a great opportunity to acquire a good sized piece of usually very expensive Cire Perdue glass for any collector wanting to at least have an example of Cire Perdue in their collection.
The seller of the vase is the auction house Boisseau & Pomez. Their phone number in Troyes is +33.03.25.73.34.07
Of course, this Lalique Cire Perdue Vase is listed in our Lalique at Auction section here at RLalique.com. And you can see other examples of Rene Lalique Cire Perdue by visiting our biography of Lalique, or by clicking on the Cire Perdue tag at the end of this article to see other articles relating to the Cire Perdue works of Rene Lalique.
* France was the third large country in the world to dump the Troy measuring system! After the 1710 Russian currency changes, it would be over 80 years until another large country followed suit when the Americans established their currency on a decimal basis in 1792 (the Thomas Jefferson thing). Three years later, in the turmoil of the French Revolution, France revamped its own currency to decimal format in 1795. It would be roughly another 80 years before the British in 1878, dumped what was in reality, a traditional French measuring system that had already been abandoned by the French!
** We’re ignoring the handful of countries that have increments of 1000 and not 100 (decimal on steroids?), and also the possible couple of countries with just one currency unit that is not divided by anything!
*** The expression “plugged nickel” originates in the American West in the late 1800’s (the Wild West era). It refers to the practice of extracting metal from coins by punching out a hole and then filling or plugging the hole with some worthless material so the coin could still be used (this from the days of course when coins actually contained valuable metals :). So a plugged nickel, being only a nickel to begin with, and not being even legal tender once defaced, would be worthless. The expression lives on to this day to denote something that has no value or is not worth anything. It’s the best we could do to work a monetary expression into to this story!
Tags: R Lalique Cire Perdue And Rene Lalique Cire Perdue, R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results
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Lalique Auctions: Christies Rene Lalique Results At The Semi-Annual Lalique Sale Are Very Strong
November 13th, 2009
 Rene Lalique Auction Results for Christies South Kensington’s Semi-Annual Lalique Sale were very strong! Lalique auction items exceeded estimates and once again marked another in a string of very strong auction sales for the works of the great Rene Lalique.
The Lalique sale totaled ₤450,012 or approximately $750,000 U.S. including buyer’s premiums. Note that all prices mentioned in this article include the buyer’s premium, and all dollar conversions are approximate.
 Our man in the room reported that bidding was fast and furious on most lots, with the highly estimated pieces attracting the most attention from a trio of different phone bidders. Trade and collectors in the room competed heavily on the mid and low estimated items, but found the phone bidding competition, which ran many of the most expensive items past their high estimates, to be too much to compete with as prices soared. When all was said and done, many participants left with tired arms and no purchases!
Here is a summary of the 17 R Lalique auction lots that made $10,000 or more:
 The first lot to go over $10,000 was Lot 6, the large Sirene Opalescent Bowl. It sold for ₤7,500 ($12,500) against a pre-sale estimate of ₤3,500 to ₤4,500. The vase Salmonides was the next RLalique item to go over 10K. Selling as Lot 17, it made ₤32,450 or about $54,500 against a pre-sale estimate of ₤15,000 to ₤20,000. This would be the second Opalescent Salmonides in as many years to make over $50,000 at South Kensington. A fitting price redux for a striking high relief vase model. It was also the high selling RLalique lot in the sale.
The vase Archers in clear and frosted glass, surprised the crowd as Lot 33, making ₤7,250 or about $12,000 against a pre-sale estimate of ₤3,000 to ₤5,000. It was quickly followed by Lot 34, the Rene Lalique Vase Dryades, which made ₤6,875 or approximately $11,500, exceeding the pre-sale estimate of ₤3,000 to ₤5,000. For “three in a row” over the $10,000 figure, Lot 35, a frosted Bacchantes Vase matched the Archers at ₤7,250 ($12,000).
 Two Penthievres were offered as Lots 46 and 47; one amber glass and the other gray glass. They made ₤17,500 ($29,500) and ₤13,750 ($23,000) respectively.
The Rene Lalique Vase Sauterelles, the Grasshopper Vase in Opalescent Glass, always a popular saleroom model when it appears in good order, sold for ₤9,375 ($16,000) against a conservative estimate of ₤4,000 to ₤5,000. A solid result for a classic Rene Lalique Vase design.
 Lot 68, the frosted Escargot Vase made ₤6,000 or almost exactly $10,000. The rare Myosotis Vase (#10-918) sold for ₤17,500 ($29,500) as Lot 72, and the Lalique Lamp Paons, Lot 93, sold for ₤28,750, or about $48,000, marking the third highest Lalique sales price.
Lot 101 was the rare Lalique Statue Voilee Mains Jointes in Opalescent Glass (#828). It sold for ₤16,250 ($27,000) against a very low estimate of ₤2,000 to ₤3,000, followed quickly in succession by the frosted Lot 102 Suzanne Statue at ₤6,000 ($10,000) and the Dragonfly Lalique Car Mascot Libellule (#1145) which made ₤10,625 ($18,000) as Lot 103.
Two other notable results preceded the last lot; a Milan Vase in green glass, Lot 112, which made ₤10,625 ($18,000) and a cased yellow Sauge Vase, Lot 115, which sold for ₤10,000 ($17,000).
The last item in the sale was also the 2nd highest R Lalique seller, edging out the Paons Lamp for the runner-up price. It was the R Lalique Vase Languedoc in green glass, which made an all in round number of ₤30,000, or just over $50,000.
 If our counting by fingers is correct :), the sale featured a total of 120 Lots, of which only 11 failed to sell. All the passed lots were on the low end of the sale estimates, the highest estimate for any of the passed items being ₤2,500 to ₤3,000, for a take up rate of near 92%. A great sales percentage combined with very strong prices!
The knowledgeable and experienced staff at Christies South Ken did a great job by all reports in selecting and presenting the sale, which could not help but have contributed to the outstanding results. Many times, high take-up rates indicate low estimated goods, but this was not generally the case for this auction. Highly competitive collector bidding for the majority of the expensive lots, and solid trade and local participation throughout, combined to push both the sales percentage and the sales totals to highly successful levels.
Overall, another very bright spot in the increasingly strong performance of the works of Lalique at Auction!
Tags: R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, R Lalique Vases and Rene Lalique Vases, Rene Lalique Lighting: R Lalique Lighting Fixtures, Rene Lalique Statues Figurines: R Lalique Statues
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Rene Lalique Fountain Statue: An R Lalique Pigeon! Is this Lalique Glass Bird For The Birds?
November 4th, 2009
Rene Lalique Pigeon Statue From A Fountain! A Lalique Glass Big Bird!
 An apparently surviving Rene Lalique statue likely from a long ago disassembled fountain that once occupied a roundabout intersection on the Champs Elysées in Paris has appeared at auction. An R Lalique Bird so rare, it is not shown in the Catalogue Raisonne (except in a photo of the fountain) even as a drawing; though the mate to this bird, the head down pigeon does appear as a drawing in the Catalogue. See page 871 of the 2004 edition.
 The R Lalique Art Deco style Pigeon is quite large, measuring 35 cm in length and 22 cm high.
The Pigeon fountain element has damage to the base that attached it to its original resting place, but otherwise, seems in pretty good shape from the detailed photos provided by the seller.
Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 170399426823 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
 Might be worth taking a flyer** at the current price of around $1140, and maybe some distance north of that amount as well. 🙂 As usual, check it out and satisfy yourself before bidding, not just on the piece, but on the terms (a big bird for international shipping that won’t fly itself to your house)! See our Rene Lalique Auction Buyers Guide for extensive details on bidding at auctions!
We’ve listed this bird in the Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide section here on the website. And of course, the out of print and extremely hard to find R.Lalique Catalogue Raisonne is available in the Rene Lalique Books and Library section.
Leave it to the great Rene Lalique to create a pigeon covered fountain that is not also covered by the mess!
* The expression “For The Birds”, also “That’s For The Birds”, and the even more emphatic “Strictly For The Birds”, is an American expression that has not caught on elsewhere. The earliest records of it are from the mid 1940’s, being used as a slang in the US Military! The expression indicates something that is meaningless or worthless, something for gullible people.
** The expression “Take a Flyer” is a mainly American and British expression that means: Take a chance!
Tags: R Lalique Architecture - Rene Lalique Architecture, R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, Rene Lalique Statues Figurines: R Lalique Statues
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Rene Lalique Sales Results For R Lalique Glass At Sothebys London Are Strong
October 29th, 2009
 Lalique Sales Results for Rene Lalique Glass at Sothebys London Auction on October 27th represented another in a great season of Lalique Auctions results for the works of the great Rene Lalique. The three high quality R Lalique Auction offerings made a total with buyer’s premium of £246,850 or about $415,000 in U.S. dollars at today’s exchange rates, against total pre-sale estimates of £125,000 to £190,000.
First lot to sell was the Motif Decoratif Deux Perruches. A large, over 50 cm display piece, it sold for £46,850 all-in against a wide but cautious pre-sale estimate of £15,000 to £25,000. The catalogue raisonne notes that this creation was intended to be part of a fountain that was never constructed. The appeal of this great motif is not just its classic Rene Lalique Perruches design, but also that it has an appeal as a decoratif object of great scope and presence to a wide audience far larger than just R Lalique collectors.
 Next was the great decanter Oreilles Gravees (oreilles literally means “ears”) which sold all-in for £12,500 against an accurate pre-sale estimate of £10,000 to £15,000. There is a famous photo in the catalogue raisonne showing two of these early Rene Lalique Decanters, one at each end of a mantel. This example was reported to be characterized by extremely heavy thick glass, almost folded over inside the vase. A great insight into early Rene Lalique glassmaking.
The final R Lalique item was the vase Deux Cigales, thought to be unique, and formerly owned by Lalique Perfume authors Glen and Mary Lou Utt. We wrote about this great Lalique Vase when the Sothebys sale was first announced. The pre-sale estimate was £100,000 to £150,000, which was exceeded by the final all-in price of £187,500, or over $300,000 U.S. A great Lalique auction result.
In addition to the great results, several readers of RLalique.com reported that their experience at Sothebys in viewing and handling the three items was extremely satisfactory, with knowledgeable senior staff and specialists in attendance to answer questions and provide information, including a great willingness to accommodate serious potential bidders at times outside the scheduled previews. And of course Sothebys heard from runner-up and high bidders alike, what auction houses around the world are hearing when they sell the works of the great Rene Lalique: “I saw it at RLalique.com!”
We’ve posted these results on the Rene Lalique Vase Deux Cigales page in the R Lalique Auctions Past section of RLalique.com.
Tags: R Lalique Decanters and Rene Lalique Decanters, R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, R Lalique Vases and Rene Lalique Vases
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Lalique Jewelry: Rene Lalique Jewelry Makes For Great Lalique Auction Results at Christies
October 26th, 2009
 The Rene Lalique Jewelry at Christies New York on October 21st consisted of five lots of jewelry, (including the great hair comb shown here) and the Lalique Religious Chalice we discussed in an earlier report. All unique and original works of Rene Lalique, with mid-range estimates averaging nearly $250,000 for the six great pieces!
All six sold at the auction, for a total including premium of $1,778,750 or just a hair (comb) under an average price of $300,000!
Speaking of hair combs, the great looking Rene Lalique Hair Comb described as “Art Nouveau Horn and Enamel” was first on the auction block. Against an estimate of $18,000 to $20,000, it made a premium inclusive estimate crushing $92,500! This writer does not have enough hair to even need a comb, else the bidding likely would have continued even past that point 🙂
 Second up was the Rene Lalique Brooch featuring “two carved ivory bathers” in high relief”. The brooch made roughly double it’s $20,000 to $30,000 estimate, finding a home at a premium inclusive $56,250 total price.
As things would have it, these great Lalique pieces were just the appetizer, as the main course, high seller of the Rene Lalique pieces, and the piece that has graced the home page here at RLalique.com for the last several weeks, was next to sell.
 It was ” AN ART NOUVEAU MULTI-GEM AND ENAMEL PENDANT NECKLACE, BY RENE LALIQUE The openwork oval-shaped enamel pendant, depicting Sarah Bernhardt as Mélissande in La Princesse Lointaine, walking through the woods with her dog, within a sculpted 18k gold leaf frame, set along one side with three old European-cut diamonds, suspending a drop-shaped amethyst, within a sculpted gold surround, to the gold fine link neckchain, mounted in 18k gold, circa 1898, 24 ins., with French assay mark, in a Lalique green leather fitted case”.
Quite a pendant it was; a tour de force of the techniques, talent and subject matter of Rene Lalique. To further entice buyers, it sold with a book that had some relevance to the entire story of Rene Lalique. The book was described as follows: ” … accompanied by a beige leather-bound copy of the script of La Princesse Lointaine, a gift to Sarah Bernhardt from Edmond Rostand, the front decorated with a gold and silver-topped gold lily stalk, the blossoms set with rose-cut diamonds and cabochon citrines, the sculpted gold foliate clasp set with garnets, peridots, tourmalines and amethyst, mounted in gold, 1895, 5½ x 8 ins., in an Edmond Rostand black leather case Pendant signed Lalique for René Lalique, script signed by Edmond Rostand.”
Sarah Benrhardt, Rene Lalique, Edmond Rostand, Paris 1895, art, art nouveau, jewelry, theatre; it was enough to entice any aficionado of the period and the subject. The pendant was the high seller of the Lalique pieces, outselling even the boxed suite to come, and making a premium inclusive total price of $554,500 against a spot-on estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.
 The fourth Lalique lot to appear was a dog collar: “AN ART NOUVEAU ENAMEL AND DIAMOND DOG COLLAR, BY RENE LALIQUE Designed as a rectangular openwork panel depicting two light blue enamel revelers playing their pipes, with dark blue enamel tree branches and old mine and rose-cut diamond leaves, mounted in 18k gold, circa 1900”. Now who’s dog wouldn’t need a collar like this for those special occasions. Seriously, every dog has it’s day, and so apparently does every dog collar! This collar made $446,500 against a wide but conservative pre-sale estimate of $150,000 to $250,000.
 Number five on the R Lalique list, was the set of jewelry described as follows: “A SUITE OF ART NOUVEAU DIAMOND, STAR SAPPHIRE AND ENAMEL “THISTLE” JEWELRY, BY RENE LALIQUE Comprising a necklace, designed as a latticework of dark blue, lavender and pink textured enamel thistle motifs, enhanced by single and rose-cut diamond leaves and thorns, with geometric dark blue enamel detail, the center plaque and clasp set with an oval star sapphire; a bracelet and brooch en suite, mounted in 18k gold, circa 1900, necklace 14¾ ins., bracelet 6½ ins., with French assay marks and maker’s marks, (necklace may also be worn as two bracelets, 7¼ ins. each), in a R. Lalique blue leather fitted case”. What a great lot: an original set of matched jewelry from the great Rene Lalique! Against an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000, it sold for $482,500 including premium. A “sweet” set of jewelry it was!
 Last but not least of the works of Lalique was the great Rene Lalique Religious Chalice we previously wrote about: “AN ART NOUVEAU IVORY, GOLD AND ENAMEL CHALICE, BY RENE LALIQUE The white, brown and beige enamel and gold base, depicting scrolling vines and leaves, extending an ivory stem, the base set with nine seated sculpted ivory worshipers in painted black robes, to the gold cup decorated with a series of eight white enamel Apostles, with white enamel ferns and scrolling vine detail, circa 1903-1905, 12½ x 8¼ ins., in a Lalique black leather fitted case”. The chalice, having a much narrower appeal than the typical jewelry items, was the only one of the six items failing (barely) to make the low estimate, yet selling for a great price of $146,500 against the estimated $150,000 to $250,000.
See more Rene Lalique Religion related items, or more Rene Lalique Jewelry sales.
A jewel of a sale for the “inventor of modern jewelry”, whose great unique artwork in all mediums from glass to jewelry are in high demand over 100 years after their creation. You can read more about Lalique at our Rene Lalique Biography page, and of course, you will find many fabulously illustrated jewelry reference items including a great Rene Lalique Hair Comb Exhibition Book in our library section on Rene Lalique Books & Catalogues From Modern Exhibitions.
Tags: R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, Rene Lalique Combs and R Lalique Hair Combs, Rene Lalique Jewelry and R Lalique Jewelry
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Rene Lalique Boxes: Lalique Box Deux Sirenes – A Large Opalescent Lalique Glass Box at Auction
October 26th, 2009
 A nice looking Lalique Box, the large Rene Lalique Deux Sirenes Covered Box in Opalescent Glass has appeared online at a starting price of only $24.99 and no reserve. This is the 10 inch large round box with a glass base.
The highly rated San Diego seller states: “CONDITION: In excellent condition with no chips, cracks or nicks of any kind. See photos for details of glass. I would be happy to email additional, larger photos.” There are lots of large detailed photos in the ad, and reasonable US shipping of $35.
This is a classic Lalique design with Lalique’s signature opalescent glass, in the always popular all glass large R Lalique box model. Seems it might be worth a look!
The auction ends November 1st. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 120484545658 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
You can also find this box on our R Lalique Auctions page, or in the Auctions Past section after it’s over, along with lots of other great R Lalique auction items from across the globe.
Tags: R Lalique and Rene Lalique on Ebay, R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, Rene Lalique Boxes and R Lalique Covered Boxes
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Rene Lalique Auctions: Lalique Antiques Online
October 24th, 2009
Rene Lalique glass (and a book!) at fair prices and no reserves online got our attention this week, and we thought we’d share our observations on a few of these current R Lalique antiques auctions with you.
Note: This page was updated on December 31, 2009 to change the links to the Ebay items from the actual listings to cached/saved copies of those listings. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
 First up, a silver rimmed Lalique Veronique Opalescent Bowl, #397. These silver rims were added post factory to pieces both in the period and as recently as yesterday :). Two reasons of course. First is decorative and personal preference, maybe a retailer enhancement (we know that sounds like three reasons but it’s really only one if you think about it). Second is to cover up damage and restore the usability of a piece. We always look at these with great caution, but the concept is found attractive by many potential buyers and silver rimmed items are saleable barring other problems. This is a good looking, somewhat opalescent bowl, in apparent good condition, and hardly seems a risk at the current price of around $125 U.S. dollars. The auction ends October 25th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 180421636980 listing online.
 Next up is a piece that every time we see it, we think about the old Superman TV show in black and white seen on the nearly round TV screens of the early 60’s ….. it’s a vase, it’s stemware, it’s a chalice …… no, it’s a bowl (it’s also a stretch, but it did come to mind)! The Saint Denis bowl #388, in apparent good condition (the seller notes the bowl is slightly cloudy), black enamel on the stem, and under $10 to start with no reserve. Hmmmm. Hard to pass up. If you were wondering, Saint Denis is now basically engulfed as a suburb of Paris. The cathedral there is rich in history, being famous as the place where French Queens were crowned, and French Kings were buried! Are these two things related? The auction ends October 28th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 290362239638 listing online.
 Third on the list is the early, smaller (300 pages or so) edition of Lalique Par Lalique, 1977. $9.99 no reserve, with dustcover, in good condition, and $6 shipping in the US. Seems it would be cheap as chips, if it were in Britain of course. Oh …. and signed by someone (see photo)! If your name is Dick, this has to be hard to pass up. 🙂 The auction ends October 27th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 170397120939 listing online.
 Fourth on the list is the Rene Lalique Vase Myrrhis, a rare and not so great looking vase (opinions vary), but if you buy by the pound or the inch, a bargain at its current price of $160 and no reserve. And to be fair, a bargain for however you buy if you can get it near this price. The auction ends October 28th. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 130339068924 listing online.
Last in our wrap-up is an Souris Mouse Cendrier Ashtray in opalescent glass. In pretty good shape, there may be a small chip on the nose (better than a big chip on the shoulder of course), but the starting price of 1 Brit Pound, and the current price of around 27 Pounds, seems to more than take a minor matter or two into consideration! The auction ends October 31st. Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 250517976871 listing online.
 We’ve listed all of these items in our Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide section here on the site. And of course, our usual caution to make your own investigation of the condition, and also to carefully review the terms of the sale if you take an interest in any of the items.
Tags: R Lalique and Rene Lalique on Ebay, R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, R Lalique Vases and Rene Lalique Vases, Rene Lalique Bowls and R Lalique Bowls
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Rene Lalique Auctions: Rene Lalique Religious Design AND The Star Wars Vase Appears! Our Lalique Cup Runneth Over!
October 9th, 2009
Rene Lalique at Auction: Unique and Amazing Items are coming up at auction around the world in the next few weeks. There are enough really high-end lots appearing, that you might overlook some of the run of the mill great and rare (as opposed to unique and amazing) pieces. We thought we’d do a brief wrap-up of a few of the highlights and bright spots, all of which (and more) can be found in the Rene Lalique Auctions Worldwide Section here at the Worldwide Gathering Place!
 On October 27th, at Sotheby’s London, it’s hard to get excited about the rare Oreilles Gravees Decanter or the Motif Decoratif Deux Perruches, both of which are standout lots in their own right, because of the great Deux Cigales Vase on offer. Thought to be unique (especially if you are the owner or the auction house), this 32 centimeter vase is likely the same one formerly owned by Glen and Mary Lou Utt. They even found a place in their seminal work Lalique Perfume Bottles to show a photo of the vase!
 And in case you didn’t notice the obvious, have you figured out yet where the design for the outfit for Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies came from? Heck talkies* weren’t even developed until the early 1920’s, and here, around 1912, the great Lalique already had the main costume design for a series of outer space high tech flicks that wouldn’t come along for more than half a century after that. Lalique was a true visionary that understood the future in ways scholars and scientists are just beginning to realize (and see Rene Lalique: Inventor of the Satellite Dish)! Maybe the fact of his costume design prowess is buried somewhere in the credits at the end of all the Star Wars movies?
 Anyway, if you’re serious about Rene Lalique vases, or if you just worship the work of the great Lalique, then this vase is nearly a religious experience. You might say Amazing Vase instead of Amazing Grace. Which brings us to Christie’s in New York on October 21st.
At Christies, amongst a few pieces of Lalique’s jewelry (trinkets really :), is the incredible religious motif “Art Nouveau Ivory, Gold And Enamel Chalice”! This chalice was exhibited both at the Musée des Art Décoratifs in the big retrospective exhibition in 1991-1992, and also in the fabulous US exhibition The Jewels of Lalique which was held in three locations in 1998, including the Cooper-Hewitt in New York, and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. The chalice (as described by Christies) features white robed Apostles and seated robed worshipers. A jewel of a chalice to put it mildly. Not the top money lot in the sale by far, but an amazing example of the work of Lalique. And yes, there are also the 5 lots of Lalique’s jewelry, with estimates ranging from a low of $15,000, up to the $500,000 range. Great stuff. See more Rene Lalique Religious pieces, or more Rene Lalique Jewellery sales.
 The foregoing items might cause you to overlook some more typical rare and good looking pieces that we also thought to bring to your attention. In Florida on October 21st, what looks like a fantastic nearly white opalescent Thais statue is coming up at a local Florida auction house. Also on the 21st in East Sussex in the UK at Gorringes, the Veilleuse Brule-Parfums Perfume Burner Roses and the wood and glass box Chrysanthemes. In France on the 26th of October, the Perruches Bowl in mint green opalescent glass! And not big money, but as cool as anything R Lalique; at Christies London on October 20th, the pair of Libellule Knife rests, one of Lalique’s most creative tableware designs, and nearly impossible to find in good condition (check these and anything else out for yourself of course :).
 And a few decorative arts auctions with good numbers of Rene Lalique auction items and several outstanding pieces: In Germany at Quittenbaum on the 19th of this month there are 30 scattered lots, many appearing to be of good quality, such as the Coral Rouge Perfume Bottle (with original box) for Forvil. In Bordeaux France on the 15th, a great selection of rare perfume bottles, and at Woolley and Wallis in the UK on the 14th, the vases Pensees with black enamel, and Papillons amongst others.
And to think we have not even reached the major December decorative arts sales. As of this writing, we have 56 auctions containing hundreds of R Lalique items from all over the globe listed in the Rene Lalique Auctions Section. Yes both literally and figuratively our cup doth runneth over!**
 A short note that the Rene Lalique Catalogue Books for both exhibitions mentioned above can be found in the R Lalique Books and Library Section here at RLalique.com. The Utt’s book Rene Lalique Perfume Bottles is also available in the Library. All three books are quite extensive and contain both scholarly analysis and historical information, along with tons of photos of wonderful Rene Lalique items.
* Talkies are movies with synchronized sound. The first feature length movie that was a true talkie was a classic: The Jazz Singer in 1927!
** “…… my cup runneth over” is from Psalms 23:5, The King James Version of the Bible.
Tags: R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, R Lalique Vases and Rene Lalique Vases, Rene Lalique Bowls and R Lalique Bowls, Rene Lalique Jewelry and R Lalique Jewelry, Rene Lalique Statues Figurines: R Lalique Statues
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Rene Lalique Cire Perdue Glass Vase: An R Lalique Opportunity Knocks?
September 27th, 2009
 Quick! Your chance to grab a cheap piece of R Lalique Cire Perdue Glass is evaporating with each passing second. Just as the lost wax melts away, so your opportunity is draining away as well. Run, don’t walk to your computer (oh, you already are on your computer, hmmmmmmm) and bid early and often on the Rene Lalique Cire Perdue Vase that has appeared on Ebay. Here’s the title of the ad:
Art Deco R Lalique Cire Perdue Vase COQ Crystal Signed!
And here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 400075284244 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image.
Get your bid in before some smart buyer gets the seller to sell it cheap off-line and stop the sale.
This is the best line from the description: “Up for consideration from the estate is an Art Deco R Lalique Cire Perdue Vase that was located in a locked curio cabinet in the family room.” Glad to know it was in a locked cabinet. That’s a mark of authenticity if ever there was one, and something all potential buyers really need to know if they have any doubts about the claims of the seller. Yes, it was locked up totally, which means it’s definitely Cire Perdue. 🙂
If you are tempted to jump right in with that big bid, you might want to consider The Rene Lalique Consulting Services we offer before throwing your money away :).
And of course, you can see some examples of real R Lalique Cire Perdue by checking out the blog posts here at RLalique.com that discuss Cire Perdue. And we also we have a few R Lalique Cire Perdue Vases partially pictured on the Rene Lalique Bio page as well.
Be careful out there. And oh, doesn’t this Cire Perdue Glass vase look strangely similar to the R.Lalique production vase Coq Et Plumes? Probably just the lighting in the photo.
Tags: R Lalique - Rene Lalique Authentication, R Lalique and Rene Lalique on Ebay, R Lalique Cire Perdue And Rene Lalique Cire Perdue, R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results
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Rene Lalique Ashtray-Cendrier Moineau in Lalique’s Classic Yellow Amber Glass: R Lalique At Auction
September 27th, 2009
 Rene Lalique’s great ashtray – cendrier designs are dissed a lot these days. Ring dish is the latest modern preferred phrase when referring to one, but there are others. Today’s entry is a Rene Lalique “Ring Holder”! Close enough.
$9.99 to start and a no reserve auction on a yellow amber R Lalique Ring Holder Moineau, or whatever nom de plume or misnomer it’s given. It’s still an R Lalique Ashtray of course no matter what you call it. This whole PC naming thing is for the birds of course.
Online ending Oct 2nd, from a highly rated seller: 6500 feedbacks at 99.9%. Not bad. The southern California seller states:
“Super item in excellent condition, I find no chips cracks scratches or repair”.
 Here is a link to a saved/cached image version of the original 350257386001 listing online. You may have to use the zoom function of your browser (or whatever program opens images for you) to get the cached image to expand in the window if it does not appear full size. After clicking on the link to the item, a new window will open with the cached image in it. On a Mac, just click on the image and see if that expands it. If not, press the apple key and click on the cached image in your browser window. On a PC, hold down the alt key while clicking on the cached image. All you “Ring Holder” collectors might want to check it out. The auction ends October 2nd.
This great little ashtray is also listed in the Rene Lalique Auctions Section here at RLalique.com.
December 3rd, 2009 Update: Switched Item Link To Cached Image Version
Tags: R Lalique and Rene Lalique on Ebay, R Lalique Rene Lalique Auctions News and Results, Rene Lalique Ashtrays and R Lalique Ashtrays
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