Emile Gallé Vases
“Art for art’s sake” was a belief strongly espoused by the celebrated French designer and glassworker Émile Gallé (1846–1904). Through his ethereal glass vases and other vessels, which he adorned with botanical and religious motifs, Gallé advanced the Art Nouveau ideology and led the modern renaissance of French glass.
Gallé was the son of successful faience and furniture maker Charles Gallé but studied philosophy and botany before coming to glassmaking later in life. The young Gallé’s expertise in botany, however, would inform his design style and become his signature for generations to come.
After learning the art of glassmaking, Gallé went to work at his father’s factory in Nancy. He initially created clear glass objects but later began to experiment with layering deeply colored glass. While glass makers on Murano had applied layers of glass and color on decorative objects before Gallé had, he was ever-venturesome in his northeastern France, taking advantage of defects that materialized during his processes and etching in natural forms like insects such as dragonflies, marine life, the sun, vines, fruits and flowers modeled from local specimens. He is also credited with reviving cameo glass, a glassware style that originated in Rome. Gallé used cabochons, which were applied raised-glass decorations colored with metallic oxides and made to resemble rich jeweling. The vases and vessels Gallé made with these techniques were widely popular at the Paris Exhibition of 1878, cementing his position as a talented designer and pioneer.
During the late 19th century, Gallé led breakthroughs in mass production and employed hundreds of artisans in his workshop. While botany and nature remained great sources of inspiration for his glassmaking, Gallé had many interests, such as Eastern art and ceramics. The Japanese collection he visited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (then the South Kensington Museum) during the 1870s had made an impression too. Breaking free from the rigid Victorian traditions, Gallé infused new life and spirit into the art and design of his time through exquisitely crafted glass vessels and pioneering new glassworking techniques.
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Early 20th Century French Other Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Emile Gallé Vases
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19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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1890s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Deco Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century European Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Deco Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Emile Gallé Vases
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1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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20th Century French Other Emile Gallé Vases
Glass, Blown Glass
Early 1900s Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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1920s French Art Nouveau Vintage Emile Gallé Vases
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20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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20th Century American Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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1890s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
Blown Glass
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
Art Glass
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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19th Century Antique Emile Gallé Vases
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Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Emile Gallé Vases
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Emile Gallé vases for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Emile Gallé
- What is a cameo vase?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022A cameo vase is a decorative glass vase that features a design in raised relief achieved by engraving, etching and carving. The earliest examples date back to ancient Roman times, and the decorative objects experienced a revival during the Art Nouveau and Neo-Grec periods. On 1stDibs, find a range of cameo vases.
- What is a Galle vase?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022French artist Emile Galle was well known for his glasswork, especially his Galle vases. These vases featured swirling colors with flowers or leaves as an accent. Galle was born in 1846 and died in 1904, and his works are considered to be a significant influence in the Art Nouveau movement. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from top artists.