Rare Émile Gallé Vase to be Offered at Auction!

Dallas, Texas: Born in Nancy, France in 1846, émile Gallé's father, Charles, owned a ceramics and glassmaking factory. Early on, young émile was trained in botany, art, entomology and chemistry, all of which were to serve as major influences later in his life.

"Gallé opened his own glass company in 1873," said Kevin Chapman, Director of Acquisitions, Decorative Arts, "but it was the International Exhibition held in Paris in 1878 that dramatically altered the course of his artistic life. It was at this Exhibition that Gallé was first exposed to new worlds of glass working by such masters as Joseph Locke, John Northwood and Eugene Rousseau."

"In 1885," Chapman continued, "Gallé opened a woodworking studio, where he was able to experiment with marquetry designs in furniture. By 1889, his designs in glass were causing a sensation at the Paris International Exhibition, and his fame was assured. This was also about the same time that the Art Nouveau movement was getting its start, which greatly appealed to Gallé, with his background in both art and natural sciences."

"At this time," Chapman said, "Gallé was still dependant on others to produce the pieces he designed, but by 1894 he had opened his own glass studio and was able to personally oversee each piece from design through production. This period marked the height of his creative output which was, however, tragically short-lived, as Gallé passed away from leukemia in 1904 at the age of 58. Family members continued to produce Gallé glass until 1938, when production ceased entirely. These later pieces can generally be recognized by the inclusion of a star after the signature on the glassware."

"The piece offered here," Chapman said, "is a lovely 'Red Onion' wheel carved cameo vase with a marquetry glass foot, a removable leaf-form stopper and an engraved signature to the side, circa 1900. It was in 1900 that Gallé was awarded the Grand Prix for Glass and the rank of Commander in the French Legion of Honor at the International Exhibition in Paris, so this piece marks an extremely fertile period in the artist's life and is sure to be the centerpiece of any art glass collection."

Heritage Auction Galleries will offer this and many other fine Decorative Art pieces in their upcoming Signature auction, to be held May 26, 2006 at their headquarters in Dallas, TX.

The Emile Gallé French Glass Vase, ca. 1900, bears a pre-auction estimate of $10,000 - $15,000.

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HeritageAuctions.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of fine art, antiques, decorative arts, silver and art glass are invited to www.HeritageAuctions.com/FineArt and click on the "Sell Now" tab. Or simply email Kevin Chapman at KevinC@HeritageAuctions.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit www.HeritageAuctions.com to order by email.