Judith Miller on Emile Gallé Glass

ABOVE: Detail of Gallé's signature, note the star which means it was made post-1904, after his death; Pink branches, £500-£700.

French designer Emile Gallé (1846-1904), son of Charles Gallé – celebrated for his beautiful faience (tin glazed earthenware) and glass – was perhaps destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. With a thirst for knowledge and a love of beautiful objects, he took inspiration from his extensive travels around Europe, as well as Japanese design. This ensured his place in history as one of the pioneers of the Art Nouveau movement in France; his love of nature can be seen in his high quality floral and foliate designs. His glass pieces are still highly regarded and often command fairly large sums (£500-£5,000), but their beauty is certainly worth the investment – their lively colours and simple shapes will give you pleasure every day.

ABOVE (LEFT - RIGHT): Purple overlay wisteria, £600-£800; Blue/purple dogwood, £1,200-£1,800; Amber nasturtium, £1,200-£1,800.

Among other subjects, Emile had studied art, botany and chemistry (as well as philosophy) and for a number of years he created fine pottery, furniture and jewellery. But after delving into the techniques of glass making at Meisenthal in Germany (a village most famous for the production of the first hand-blown Christmas decorations), he settled back in his home city of Nancy, north-eastern France, where he founded a glass studio.

A year later, in 1874, Gallé took over his father’s successful glass and ceramics factory nearby and began producing his designs there, combining ancient techniques – such as enamelling and inlay – with his own ideas. His imagination and innovative methods led him to win gold medals when he exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878.

ABOVE (LEFT - RIGHT): Emile Gallé vase, 1904, yellow wisteria, £3,500-£4,500; Carved crystal vase, £1,200-£1,500.

As Emile’s work grew in popularity, he developed commercial cameo designs, which were made using acid-etched techniques; but all the pieces had to meet his standards in order to bear his name. Emile Gallé died in 1904, and for the next decade, until production ceased during World War I, a star was added next to his signature, to indicate that the object was made after his death. After the war ended, his son-in-law Paul Perdrizet took over the factory and began to experiment with his own designs but mostly using Emile’s techniques. The factory later closed completely in 1936.

Tips for collectors:

• Gallé’s pieces are not cheap but there are many books on the designer’s work, so further reading will help you make a good investment.
• Those objects with a star after Emile Gallé’s signature would have been made after his death, so will usually not be worth quite as much.
• Be careful when buying from online auctions as many fakes have been produced. These are often made in moulds and the decoration will be crude; however, they may bear a copy of Gallé’s signature. You’ll find their starting price will be very low, and sellers could have more than one of the same piece.
• To find a reputable dealer, visit bada.org (020 7589 4128).

WORDS JUDITH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID RAGO AUCTIONS, WOOLLEY & WALLIS, WIENER KUNST AUKTIONEN – PALAIS KINSKY, DREWEATTS, MILLERSONLINE.COM (millersonline.com)
Featured in the May 2010 issue of Period Living

Buy Judith Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2012-2013