A Glassy Elegance
Although fashioned out of a static material, Lalique’s crystal sculptures come to life as it evokes soft breezes, splashing water, the sun’s rays plus other sensations typically experienced with Mother Nature’s humbling presence. René Jules Lalique was, after all, a grand imitator of all things containing the breath of life. Materialising beneath the hands of the master craftsman 88 years ago, the Languedoc vase borrows its jagged details from cacti, and was revived in celebration of the sculptor’s 150th anniversary in 2010. In a similar vein, the Champs-elysees bowl and the Tourbillons vase derive inspiration from invisible forces. While the first mimics the formation of windswept maple leaves on Avenue des Champs-elysees, the latter takes after the ‘Hamattan,’ a humid breeze that blows along the West African coast. Also, first surfacing in 1913, the Cachet Poisson makes an especially fun collector’s item. And home owners may mix and match as few or as many kaleidoscopic fishes as they wish within a Lalique aquarium.