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Lalique Enthusiasts & R. Lalique Collectors

Cariatides Vase

Rene Lalique Cariatides Vase information and photos at RLalique.com are tied together on this main Cariatides Vases page. Past and future auctions, historical details, sales, copies, reproductions, articles and more are all accessible from here. This page grows as more info is added to the website.

Note: Cariatide is the French word for caryatid. Caryatids (also Cariatides for the plural is OK) are draped female figures supporting some type of structure above called an entablature. In architecture a horizontal structure resting on a supporting column is an entablature and it could be for example a cornice, frieze, etc. In decorative arts adopting the meaning of entablature and using that meaning here, we have Lalique's interpretation with the heads of the caryatids supporting the cover.

Also Note: This vase model originally came with a cover. The cover is an integral part of Lalique's design. Without the cover the female figures are not Caryatids. The value of the vase without the original cover is a small percentage of the value with the cover. Because of that and because of the simplicity of the cover design, later replacement covers have been seen from time to time created by modern glass restorers. Having a replacement cover and properly disclosing that upon sale is close to the same as having no cover from a value standpoint. So to summarize, it's our typical advice not to buy any R. Lalique item with missing or later replacement parts and we strongly recommend you do not buy this model unless it has an original cover.

Also Note: We've stopped listing examples of this vase that appear at auction without the cover.

Also Note: This is 1 of 5 commercial vase models by Lalique with a cover. The other 4 covered vases are Chrysantheme, Fontaines, Sylvia and Tourterelles.