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Here are all of the R. Lalique Bowl, Plate, and Glass Shapes that we've used to categorize shapes on the model pages. These are broad categories, so two Standard Shape Bowls may not be the exact same shape, but you would know the general shape from that category assignment. We put the Coupes-Plate and Ice Cream Dishes in both Bowls and Plates as they are referred to as both in typical use. Further explanations and photo examples for each shape are provided below. Obviously some items could fit into more than one category. For example the long Arras Tray with handles from 1943 was apparently marketed as a Cake Plate. But it's also a Rectangular Tray. For the Glasses, we've got broad categories with 2 letter modifiers to better describe various items. Some Glasses may have more than one modifier. For example a long stemmed champagne glass would show on the model page as Stem-Lo-Ch. Or a glass with a thick short stem would be Stem-Th-Sh.

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Tableware Shapes Index

Bol

These are small finger bowls and all are between 10.5 cm to 13 cm diameter. All but one are round. Most are mainly clear glass, though there are half-a-dozen all-over or nearly all-over frosted examples. Most have either a decoration on the bottom or lower outside, or a single medallion style design centered in one place on the exterior. A small number have an all-over decoration and a couple have no decoration. All are wider at the top than the bottom. And while most taper cleanly from top to bottom, several descend to a short platform style round base. One model (Fleur) has a short vertical top section before curving quickly inward as it heads to the bottom, and one model (Raisins Six Pans) has six side panels and is not rounded in any way. Colored or opalescent glass in any of these models is rare. There are likely between 50 and 55 different Bol models. The majority were created to match dinnerware services that also have plates and/or glasses. We are showing several different examples here to illustrate the various differences in shape and decorative implementation. In French they are Bols or Bols à Mains (bowls or finger bowls).

Standard Bowl

Think about a typical cereal or soup bowl shape. Gently rising and widening up from the base with the direction getting more vertical near the round top rim. The bottom of the bowl is the narrowest part and the top is the widest. In French, they are simply Coupes.

Ice Cream Bowl

These have flat central bottoms with gently rising and spreading shallow sides. Kind of half way between a standard plate and a standard bowl. There are about 15 known models. In French they are Coupes à Glace. These are also shown in Plates below because they are referred to in practice as both plates and bowls.

Oval Bowl

There are only a few of these. They are typically thought of as serving pieces or jardinieres and the two important features are that they are oval and have a deep enough well or high enough sides to be considered a bowl. In French they are Coupes Ovale or Jardinières Ovale.

Square Bowl

There are only a few of these. What they have in common is they are square and have a deep enough well or high enough sides to be considered a bowl. In French they are Coupes Carée.

Rectangular Bowl

There are only a few of these. What they have in common is they are rectangular shaped and have a deep enough well or high enough sides to be considered a bowl. In French they are Coupes Rectangulaire or Jardinières Rectangulaire.

Butter / Salt Bowl

These are small bowls meant for butter, salt, or condiments. They range in width from 5.5 cm to 8 cm. There are only 4 models (Tokyo, Nippon, Bourgueil, and Vouvray - not shown here). We have these in the Tableware section of the Rene Lalique catalog. In general use they are referred to as butter dishes or salt cellars. In French it's Beurrier, Saleron, or Salière.

Quarter Circle Bowl

This single example is part of a Nippon set for use with a matching tray for Hors D'Oeuvre etc. There is also a matching model round center bowl shown below with identical decoration and vertical sides to gather these around. This is one of several items made only for Nippon that extend the Nippon Tableware set in various ways like none of the other tableware sets by Rene Lalique. In French these parts are referred to as Raviers.

Condiment Bowl

This single example is part of the Nippon Hors D'oeuvre Service that is meant to be in the center of the quarter Circle Bowl shown above. It's 10.5 cm wide, has vertical sides and an undecorated bottom.

Jam Bowl

These are slightly tapering with decorated bottoms. Here we show an approximately 18 cm NIppon model and 16.5 cm Marienthal Model. In French it's Confiturier.

Sugar Bowl

This single example is a 12.5 cm wide Nippon model that is basically a smaller version of the Nippon Jam Bowl shown above. In French it's Sucrier.

Covered Bowl

These are the only 2 covered bowls. They were marked as covered butter dishes or lidded jam pots. In French it's Beurrier à Couvercle or something like Pot à Confiture Avec Couvercle.

Footed Bowl

The singular Nippon example is 24 cm wide. In French it's Coupe Sur Pied.

Sherbert Bowl

Two totally different styles here. These were marketed as single serving fruit or sherbert bowls and are the only models originally sold that way. They are 10.5 cm and 11.5 cm tall respectively. You also see some of the champagne glasses from the stemware sets marketed as sherbert bowls in the modern era by re-sellers. In French it's Coupes à fruits rafraîchis individuelle.

Coupe Ouverte

Bowls this shape have a flat central bottom with always widening sides that are first rising then flattening out. A large number of bowl models were offered in this shape.

Coupe Refermée

These bowls have the top rims curving back towards the center of the bowls. There are only a few models that were offered in this shape.

Coupe Plate

Plates of this shape have a flat central bottom and quickly rising but short sides that end up near vertical at the rim. Many models were offered in this shape.

Standard1 Plate

We've classified 2 different Standard Plates. This first one is for plates having a flat central bottom and very gently minimally rising to the outer edges. Contrast this with a coupe plate where the short sides rise sharply and end vertical.

Standard2 Plate

This 2nd Standard Plate is for plates typically associated with stemware sets. They feature a flat round central area, and a flat or very gently rising elevated outer area. They are generally round and clear glass and do not have all-over decorations. Most have a central molded medallion style decoration or a decorated band where the lower well meets the elevated outer area of the plate.

Ice Cream Plate

These have flat central bottoms with gently rising and spreading shallow sides. Kind of half way between a standard plate and a standard bowl. There are about 15 known models. In French they are Assiettes à Glace. These are also shown in Bowls above because they are referred to in practice as both plates and bowls.

Square Plate

There are only a couple of square plates or trays. In French it's Assiette Carée.

Kidney Plate

There are made as side or salad plates. There are only three models with this shape. The most prevalent is Pissenlit, but it also exists for Or mea xu and as the only plate for the model Paimpol. All three are shown. All the plates are roughly the same approximately 20.5 cm length. In French it's Assiettes à salade.

Cake Plate

This shape would cover round plates with flat or nearly flat bottoms that have fully vertical short sides. In French it's Plat à Cake.

Rectangular

There is one model rectangular plate (Ermitage) shown here.

Rectangular Tray

There are a few rectangular trays of which we show one (Oeillets). The only difference as far as shape is minor variations such as bow shaped cabochon "handles" on each long end of the Ermitage Tray. The trays are usually (but not always) larger than a typical plate size. In round numbers the Oeillets Tray shown below is 60% longer than the Ermitage Plate shown above..

Round Compartmented Tray

There is only one of these and it's shown below. It was marketed as a tray for Hors D'Oeuvre. There is also the Nippon Hors D'Oeuvre Tray but that is several assembled pieces.

Round Tray

There are around 15 of these. What separates these from Standard Plates is mainly the size and the rim shape and style. Typically they are undecorated in the center with an elevated decorated rim. Most are just clear and frosted though some models were made in the yellow amber glass you see below. And at least one model has decorative handles.

Coupe-Plate

These have flat centers with short but sharply rising rims that end vertical. We also show these in Bowls above as in practice they are often referred to as bowls.

Stem

The classic tableware form. It has a base, a stem, and a bowl. Here are several examples. When things drift too far for the size and shape of the stem, the base, or the bowl, we differentiate. Each of those categories is explained and illustrated after these classic examples.

Stem-Thick (Th)

The only variation from the classic stem is the thick often decorated stem between the base and the bowl.

Stem-Short (Sh)

The only variation from the classic stem is the short length of the stem. There are some stems that are so short they are barely a stem or just a lump of glass and at that point we classify them as footed. Also keep in mind that these designations can be combined. For example you could have a stem that is thick, short, and on a champagne. That would give you Stem-Th-Sh-Ch.

Stem-Long (Lo)

The only variation from the classic stem is the longer length of the stem. Elegance. And again, keep in mind that these designations can be combined. For example you could have a stem that is long and a champagne. That would give you Stem-Lo-Ch.

Stem-Champagne (Ch)

Now we move from differences in the stem to differences in the bowl. In this example, the only variation from the classic stem is the wider shaped and usually more shallow bowl for the typical champagne stem.

Stem-Snifter (Sn)

These glasses don't all have the same shape. What they have in common is they have a bowl that undulates or is curvaceous in some way.

Tumbler

A glass with no base or a stem and with an inside area that goes all the way to the bottom of the glass.

Tumbler-Champagne (Ch)

A glass with no base or stem, with an inside area that goes to the bottom of the glass but that also widens more severely than other models of the same design.

Footed

A glass with a flat or nearly flat base but no stem, or a stem that is so very short or is just a lump of glass that we ignore it for purposes of classification.

Footed-Champagne (Ch)

A glass with a flat or nearly flat base but no stem or an extremely minimal stem, with a bowl that widens quickly and more severely and is usually more shallow than other models of the same design.

High Base

A glass with no foot or stem, but an elevated decorated distinct lower section that forms part of the design.

High Base-Champagne (Ch)

A glass with no foot or stem, but an elevated decorated distinct lower section that forms part of the design and a top section that widens more severely than other models of the same design.

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