Jean Dunand French Art Nouveau Bronze Vase
About the Item
- Creator:Jean Dunand (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)Diameter: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1900-1909
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1900
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Jean Dunand
A prolific talent, Jean Dunand was one of the most extraordinary and emblematic designers of the early 20th century. He produced well over a thousand Art Deco works in an almost dizzying array of media. He is best remembered for his exquisite creations in lacquer and metal, but he also worked as a sculptor, mosaicist, portraitist and goldsmith. The Swiss-born Parisian designer imagined jewelry, tapestries, fabrics for haute couture and, during World War I, even a helmet for soldiers with an adjustable visor.
Dunand’s clients included fashion designers Jeanne Lanvin, Madeleine Vionnet and Elsa Schiaparelli, as well as Josephine Baker, who used his vases and screens for her stage sets. She also posed nude for him, and her likeness appears on several lacquer panels. He collaborated with Robert Mallet-Stevens on a boutique for the Swiss leather-goods brand Bally on Paris’s boulevard de la Madeleine, and he lacquered furniture for both Eugène Printz and Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann.
The two highlights of his professional life, however, were no doubt his participation in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925 and the decor he imagined for a number of luxury ocean liners, the largest and most prestigious of which was the Normandie, which first set sail in May 1935.
At the 1925 exhibition, from which Art Deco derives its name, Dunand made his mark not only with a series of four monumental hammered-copper vases, decorated with striking geometric patterns in lacquer consisting of squares, triangles, chevrons and undulating lines, but also with the sleek and stylish smoking room he designed for the Pavillon de la Société des Artisans Décorateurs.
Born Jules-John Dunand in 1877 (he Frenchified his first name later) close to Geneva in Switzerland, his first career was as a sculptor. He moved to Paris in 1897 and won a gold medal at the Exposition universelle de 1900 for a bronze proof titled Quo vadis. Five years later, he had turned his attention almost exclusively to the decorative arts. In an ensuing interview, he explained, “The desire to earn a living was partly responsible for my abandoning what is known as ‘fine art.’”
In 1912, Dunand met the Japanese lacquer master Seizo Sugawara, who initiated him into the secrets of the medium’s age-old techniques. It was not until 1921, however, that he presented his first pieces of lacquer furniture. Dunand was not the only Art Deco designer to use the material (Eileen Gray famously did so too), but he employed it much more prolifically and decoratively.
By 1924, he was at the head of a workshop of nearly 60 employees producing objects that ranged from boxes and trays to card tables and screens, many of which bore breathtakingly beautiful motifs consisting of interlocking lines and geometric shapes. By 1927, he had abandoned abstract patterns, favoring instead rich and complex figurative designs, largely featuring animals against stylized backgrounds of leaves and flowers, an aesthetic not far removed from the paintings of Henri Rousseau.
Dunand continued his work relentlessly until his death, in 1942 at the age of 65.
After World War II, Art Deco went completely out of style, and Dunand’s work was largely neglected until the mid-1970s. Since then, it has gained something of a cult following. Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Andy Warhol and Marc Jacobs all had Dunand creations in their collections.
Find vintage Jean Dunand decorative objects, ceramics and other Art Deco works on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Japanese Meiji Art Nouveau Bronze Lotus VaseLocated in New York, NYJapanese Meiji period Art Nouveau bronze vase in shape of a lotus, hand incised detailing and rare chocolate brown patina, circa 1900.Category
Antique Early 1900s Japanese Meiji Metalwork
MaterialsBronze
- Japanese Art Nouveau Bronze UrnLocated in New York, NYJapanese late Meiji period Art Nouveau large bronze urn. The piece showcases secessionist elements of a voluptuous nature and was likely used as an architectural element. Handmade in...Category
Antique Early 1900s Japanese Art Nouveau Urns
MaterialsBronze
- Art Nouveau Hammered Cooper Tall VaseLocated in New York, NYArt Nouveau hammered copper tall vase with "vert de gris" patina, apparently unsigned, circa late 1920s. Measures: 20" Height x 8.25" Diameter. Dealer: S...Category
Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Vases
MaterialsCopper
- Lhomme Lefevre French Art Nouveau Cameo Glass VaseBy LefevreLocated in New York, NYL'Homme Lefevre French Art Nouveau cameo glass vase, in opalescent amber engraved vase, with signature "LHOMME LEFEVRE" to neck, circa 1900, possibly by glass master Amedee de Caranz...Category
Early 20th Century Edwardian Vases
MaterialsArt Glass
- Art Nouveau Diminutive Porcelain Gourd-Shaped VaseLocated in New York, NYArt Nouveau period diminutive porcelain vase in double-gourd form with yellow and blue painted flowers. The piece is in great vintage condition.Category
Vintage 1910s Art Nouveau Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Amphora Austrian Art Nouveau Grape Motif VaseLocated in New York, NYAmphora Austrian Art Nouveau semi-iridescent ceramic two-handled vase decorated with hanging grape cluster and vines and leaves. Marked and numbered on bottom. Dimensions: 14" H x 1...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Jean Dunand Dinanderie Vase French Art Deco RareBy Jean DunandLocated in Oakland, CADinanderie Vase by French artist Jean Dunand..This is a rare and unusual vase with a combination of abstract floral and geometric images. The multi-layer patina gives this vase a ver...Category
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Vases
MaterialsMetal
- Art Deco Terra Cotta Vase in the Manner of Jean DunandBy Jean DunandLocated in Austin, TXLarge vase, vessel, French, from the Art Deco period made of chiseled terra cotta. This important piece of pottery in the manner of iconic Art Deco artist...Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Vases
MaterialsTerracotta
- French Art Nouveau Bronze VaseLocated in Milano, ITBeautiful French bronze vase from the Art Nouveau period, made during the early 1900s, fine French manufacture. The vase is made entirely of bronze,...Category
Antique Early 1900s Italian Art Nouveau Vases
MaterialsBronze
- Art Deco Jean Dunand Style Murano Glass Vase Signed Cose Belle Cose RareBy Jean Dunand, Cose Belle Cose RareLocated in VALENCIA, ESElevate your décor with this mesmerizing hand-blown Murano glass vase, a radiant homage to the Art Deco era's sophistication. Crafted with meticulous precision, this vase captures th...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Art Deco Vases
MaterialsArt Glass
- Pair of French Art Nouveau Gilt Bronze VasesLocated in New York, NYPair of French Art Nouveau gilt bronze vases with handles with floral design and female heads. (PRICED AS PAIR).Category
20th Century French Art Nouveau Vases
MaterialsBronze
- Paul Jean Milet. Bronze-Mounted Art Nouveau-Period Sevres Art Pottery VaseBy Paul MilletLocated in Richmond Hill, ONSigned Paul Jean Milet (French 1870 - 1950). Glazed Sevres ceramic art nouveau/art deco period vase with bronze mounts, circa 1925. Signed to the underside of the base. Size: 13" hi...Category
Antique Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Vases
MaterialsCeramic