A signed Emile Gallé 'Persian-style' gilded and enamelled glass bottle and stopper
Discover the exquisite beauty of this signed Emile Gallé ‘Persian-style’ gilded and enamelled glass bottle and stopper from 19th-century France.
Acclaimed for fusing color & innovation, Gallé’s work adorned royal collections & museums worldwide
France, 19th Century
Emile Gallé was a French glass - maker. In 1874, he took over the family business when his father retired.
This 19th - century 'Persian - style' gilded and enamelled glass bottle and stopper is 19.1 cm high. It has a piriform shape. Its shoulders taper to a tall, narrow neck with an everted rim. There are handles on the shoulders, to either side of the neck. The stopper has a flaring form.
The body is decorated with two lobed cartouches. These contain figures on horseback. The background is a foliate interlace, with scrolling foliate tendrils. The neck and stopper also have foliate interlace. It's signed 'EG Emile Gallé à Nancy...' near the base.
Gallé experimented with enamels. In 1889, he told the Paris exposition jury about his work. Since 1878, he developed a palette for glass decoration. He mixed with hard Arabian enamels to get reflecting colors. In 1884, he made new transparent enamels in relief. He created opaque enamels with unique colors.
Gallé likely saw Mamluk originals. The mounted - figure motifs on his bottle match those on Ayyubid - Mamluk enamelled glass. For example, a New York Metropolitan Museum bottle has mounted warriors. A London Victoria and Albert Museum lamp has a mounted figure in a similar pose. A Berlin museum vase shows polo players in a like manner.
His pieces were popular. Prominent collections, like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and royal families, acquired them.
What do you think inspired Gallé to blend different styles in his glass - making? How do you think his experiments with enamels changed the world of glass art?
