Daum Abstract Sculptures
For collectors, Daum is a name in the first rank of the French makers of art glass, along with those of Émile Gallé and René Lalique. Led in its early decades by the brothers Auguste (1853–1909) and Antonin Daum (1864–1931), the company, based in the city of Nancy, established its reputation in the Art Nouveau period, and later successfully adopted the Art Deco style.
In 1878, lawyer Jean Daum took over the ownership of a glassworks as payment for a debt and installed his sons as proprietors. Initially, Daum made glass for everyday purposes such as windows, watches and tableware, but the success that Gallé enjoyed at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris — the international showcase for which the Eiffel Tower was built — inspired the Daum brothers to begin making art-glass pieces. They produced popular works of cameo glass, a decorative technique in which an outer layer of glass is acid-etched or carved off to reveal the layer below, but Daum became best known for vessels and sculptures in pâte de verre — a painstaking method in which finely ground colored glass is mixed with a binder, placed in a mold and then fired in a kiln.
Though early Daum glass was never signed by individual artists, the firm employed some of the masters of the naturalistic, asymmetrical Art Nouveau style, including Jacques Grüber, Henri Bergé and Amalric Walter (whose first name is frequently misspelled). Daum also collaborated with furniture and metalware designer Louis Majorelle, who created wrought-iron and brass mounts for vases and table lamps. In the 1960s, Daum commissioned fine artists, most notably Salvador Dalí and sculptor César Baldaccini, to design glass pieces. As you see from the works offered on 1stDibs, Daum has been home to an astonishingly rich roster of creative spirits and is today a state-owned enterprise making pâte de verre figurines.
1970s French Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
1970s Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
20th Century Daum Abstract Sculptures
Paper
20th Century French Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Daum Abstract Sculptures
Glass
20th Century French Post-Modern Daum Abstract Sculptures
Glass
1970s French Post-Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Early 1900s Antique Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
20th Century Daum Abstract Sculptures
Glass
2010s French Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
1950s French Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
Early 2000s French Modern Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
1970s Scandinavian Brutalist Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Glass
Late 20th Century Brutalist Daum Abstract Sculptures
Wood
1970s French Post-Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
1970s Danish Brutalist Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Metal
Early 2000s French Modern Daum Abstract Sculptures
Glass, Art Glass
Mid-20th Century French Beaux Arts Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
20th Century French Hollywood Regency Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
1960s French Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Blown Glass
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
20th Century French Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal, Bronze
1970s French Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
1970s French Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
1970s French Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Daum Abstract Sculptures
Art Glass
20th Century French Modern Daum Abstract Sculptures
Glass
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Daum Abstract Sculptures
Crystal
Daum abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
- Is Daum crystal marked?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024Yes, Daum crystal is typically marked. The French maker usually adds the word "Daum Nancy" and its logo, a double cross called the Cross of Lorraine, to its pieces. You can locate the mark in a discreet area, such as on the bottom of stemware and decorative objects. Find a selection of Daum Nancy crystal wares on 1stDibs.
- Is all Daum glass signed?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, Daum glass is normally signed. The location of the company's mark varies, but it usually says "Daum Nancy" above, below or beside the cross of Lorraine, a cross with two crossbars. Find a variety of Daum glass on 1stDibs.
- How is Daum glass made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022How Daum glass is made involves a process unique to the manufacturer, called pâte de verre. It involves filling a refractory mold with finely crushed glass and then baking the piece in a kiln. Shop a collection of Daum glassware on 1stDibs.
- Are all Daum vases signed?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, all Daum vases are signed. Authentic Daum glass work will have the signature “Daum Nancy” and incorporate the cross of Lorraine. Looking for a signature is one of the best ways to ensure authenticity. Browse a range of authentic Daum vases and other glassware on 1stDibs.