Frederic Rhead, a Pair of Arts & Crafts Terracotta Vases with Peacocks, ca. 1900

Napoleon III Period Émile Gallé A Pair of Cabinet Vases Multi-Color Enamel, Clear Art Glass Nancy, France Circa 1870s DIMENSIONS Height: 3.57 in Upper diameter: 1.63 in Width: 2,25 in Bottom diameter; 1.63 in MARKINGS Both vases are signed in enamel at the base, bearing the mark ‘E. Gallé Nancy.’ ABOUT VASES “The aim of my work: The study of nature, the love of nature's art, and the need to express what one feels in one's heart.” – Emile Gallé These exquisite, museum-quality vases are highly collectible and in great demand due to their representation of the very origins of the master’s distinctive oeuvre, tracing back to the 1870s. At that time, French applied arts were marked by the extraordinary Napoleon III style, which blended vibrant polychrome hues, lacquered surfaces, and intricate painting techniques. This style drew inspiration from Renaissance ideals of beauty, Baroque gilding, Neoclassical lines, and the sensuality of Rococo. This particular pair of cabinet vases uniquely amalgamates several prevailing artistic styles of the period, including Impressionism, Trompe-l'œil, Realism, and Romanticism. Each vase is adorned with multi-colored enamel paintings depicting fantastical designs, featuring insects fluttering among an array of exotic grasses and flowers. Both vases are further embellished with exquisite applied glass sea shells, a Rococo-style handles on their sides. Despite their identical classical form, the paintings on each vase differ significantly, yet together they form a surprisingly harmonious composition. ABOUT ARTIST Émile Gallé Gallé (French, 1846 – 1904) Born on May 4, 1846 in Nancy, France, Émile Gallé mile Gallé seemed destined for a career in glassmaking. Nancy was well-established for its glass artistry, and his father, Charles Gallé was an established faïence (ceramic) and glassmaker with his own successful manufactory, the Maison Gallé-Reinemer. It would be here under the guidance of his father that the young Emile began to learn the art of glassmaking while simultaneously indulging his academic interests in philosophy, botany and chemistry. In 1867, Gallé joined his father working full-time at the Maison. Gallé's glasswork, even at its earliest stages, was heavily influenced by nature, with his very first pieces incorporating enameled floral motifs painted upon clear glass. He was an avid botanist his entire life, collecting plants, flowers, and insects from which to study and draw inspiration. He was even elected Secretary-General for Nancy's Société centrale d'horticulture. Gallé traveled throughout Europe studying works at museums and private institutions, gaining insight from ancient glass antiquities to Japonesque masterpieces, and everything in between. It would be Gallé’s trip to the British Museum in 1871 that would alter the course of his art career. Enamored by the famed ancient Roman cameo glass...

This beautiful end of Meiji Period Japanese Kyoto Fuzan Satsuma Ware double-handled vase has a gold plated intricate infinite circular relief pattern design and two images of goddess...

Pair of glazed ceramic vases. France, late 19th century.

Decorate a mantel or a console with this elegant pair of antique enamel vases. Created in southern France, the colorful vessel have a long neck on a circular base; each vase features a typical coastal scene on the French Riviera with sailboats at large and rocky cliffs in the foreground. Each vase is signed by the artist Narbon d'Honore. The vases are in excellent condition commensurate with age and use, and adorn soft colors in the beige palette. The vessels are further signed underfoot "Delphin Massier, Vallauris" for additional authentication. The Massier family of Vallauris is recognized for three members producing Majolica in the second half of the 19th century. In 1860, brothers Delphin (1836-1907) and Clement (1844-1917) Massier were joined by cousin Jerome Massier (1850-1916) and began producing a style of ceramic bridging between traditional Victorian Majolica and Art Nouveau pottery. The Massier’s mastered the copper oxide flambé technique for glazing, thereby introducing an intensely vibrant color palette including red, green and blue hues not previously seen with English Majolica. Important in the Massier production were a series of large naturalistic modeled figural roosters, hens and other birds. Vases and wall pockets styled as orchids, intensely colored irises and sunflowers are among the most common Massier styles. A variety of humorous pieces bearing frogs and songbirds are popular among collectors. Most Massier Majolica bears...