Bronze and Glass Vase, Escalier De Crystal Vase, circa 1890
About the Item
- Creator:L'Escalier de Cristal (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 6 in (15.24 cm)Depth: 6 in (15.24 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1890
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
L'Escalier de Cristal
Dating back to the Bourbon Restoration in France and the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, l’Escalier de Cristal (the Crystal Staircase) was founded by Madame Veuve Désarnaud as the first company to offer decorative objects made from crystal and gilded bronze. The firm was located in the Palais Royal in Paris, opposite the Louvre. It grew through a series of owners to become the gold standard for reproductions of 18th-century furniture — so perfect they were often mistaken for originals.
Désarnaud won numerous awards for her creations, including a gold medal at the 1819 Paris Exposition des Produits de l’Industrie Française for a dressing table featuring her signature bronze-crystal combination. A tailor named Boin bought the company around 1830; he in turn sold it to Pierre-Isidore Lahoche in 1840. Lahoche’s son-in-law, Émile Pannier, joined in a partnership in 1952 before Émile’s sons took over in 1885, establishing Pannier Frères. The company ceased commercial production in 1923.
Starting as early as the 1860s, there was a growing appetite for Japanese-style furniture, thanks in large part to the Japanese pavilion at the International Exposition of 1867. Henry Pannier reimagined some of the company’s designs to meet this new demand. The stylized furniture was a huge success and earned the company many awards, including the gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Others who contributed to this stylistic trend included French artist Émile Gallé, French glassmaker and ceramicist François-Eugène Rousseau, French furniture designer Louis Majorelle and French cabinetmaker Gabriel Viardot.
Henry Pannier made a constant effort to sketch each object the company sold and record it in his notebooks. Over 50 years, he recorded 2,800 furniture designs, each with its own name, date of sale and price. On some pieces, l’Escalier de Cristal signed the models, adding a layer of authenticity and distinction for today’s collectors.
Museums around the world have collected pieces from l’Escalier de Cristal, including the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of l’Escalier de Cristal decorative objects, vases, desk accessories and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Bronze Mounted French Porcelain Limoges Vase, circa 1890Located in New York, NYBeautifully hand painted green white design with lovely gilt accents. Ornate bronze mounts at top of the vase as well as the base. Limoges Depose France...Category
Antique 1890s French Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair of Bohemian Enameled Glass Vases, circa 1890Located in New York, NYPair of Bohemian enameled glass vases, circa 1890.Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Vases
MaterialsGlass
- Large German Porcelain 'Sang-de-Boeuf' Double Gourd Vase, circa 1890Located in New York, NYAttributed to Hermann August Seger (1839-1893).Category
Antique Late 19th Century German Vases
MaterialsPorcelain
- Pair of French Bronze Figural and Glass Vases, circa 1880Located in New York, NYPair of French bronze figural and glass vases, circa 1880.Category
Antique 1880s French Vases
MaterialsBronze
- Silver-Mounted Copenhagen Vase, circa 1890By Royal CopenhagenLocated in New York, NYSigned: Valdemar Engelhardt, mounted by the Royal Silversmith Michelson with hallmarks.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Danish Vases
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Large Japanese Enameled Vase, circa 1890Located in New York, NYThe vase with broad shoulders gently sloping towards a footed base, engraved with dragons in clouds.Category
Antique 1890s Vases
MaterialsEnamel
- Japanese Style Bronze Planter by L'Escalier de Cristal, France, Circa 1890By L'Escalier de CristalLocated in PARIS, FRSigned H.P for Henri Pannier. Lovely hexagonal shaped planter in patinated bronze with gold highlights. Adorned on three sides with a dragon framed by a rhombus frieze on an openwor...Category
Antique 1890s French Japonisme Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
MaterialsBronze
- Pair of porcelain “swallow” vases , L'Escalier de Cristal, France, 1890By L'Escalier de CristalLocated in PARIS, FRBeautiful pair of Chinese porcelain vases. On a blue background of stylized clouds, two cartouches display a design of pairs of swallows flying among flowering branches. The reverse ...Category
Antique 1890s French Aesthetic Movement Vases
MaterialsBronze
- French Ormolu-Mounted Etched Glass Vase, Attributed to L'Escalier de CristalBy L'Escalier de CristalLocated in New York, NYA French Ormolu-mounted etched glass vase, attributed to L'Escalier De Cristal, Paris, circa 1870. An extremely fine quality bronze-mounted glass two-handled vase / bowl - the thi...Category
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Vases
MaterialsOrmolu
- Rare Japanese Style Planter by L'Escalier de Cristal, France, Circa 1880By L'Escalier de CristalLocated in PARIS, FRThis circular planter in enamel ceramic, by L'Escalier de crystal, is embellished with a floral and vegetal polychrome décor upon a celestial blue ...Category
Antique 1880s French Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
MaterialsBronze
- Japanese Style Planter Attributed to l'Escalier de Cristal, France, circa 1880By Edouard Lievre, L'Escalier de CristalLocated in PARIS, FRLarge planter decorated on the belly with a rotating decoration of polychrome flowers and geometric patterns in cloisonné enamel on a red background. It is inserted in an important p...Category
Antique 1880s French Japonisme Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
MaterialsEnamel, Bronze
- Pair of "Cloisonne" Enamel Vases, Attr. to l'Escalier de Cristal, France, C.1870By L'Escalier de CristalLocated in PARIS, FRPair of Japanese-style roll-shaped vases, made in “cloisonné” enamel and gilded bronze. The cylindrical body is decorated with polychrom floral branches, flowers and butterflies on a...Category
Antique 1870s French Japonisme Vases
MaterialsBronze, Enamel