Lalique Glass Figurines: Worth the Buy?

Since its founding in 1887 up until the 1900s-1910s, Lalique was one of France's foremost Art Nouveau jewelry designers. In the first two decades of the twentieth century, Lalique transitioned into one of the world's most renowned makers of artistic glass objects. During the first half of the twentieth century, Lalique produced perfume bottles, vases, hood ornaments, and decorative glass figurines. Today, Lalique still produces a variety of products and has expanded their production in five main categories; jewelry decorative items, perfumes, art, and the unique car mascots, and their more prominently known items , such as the glass figurines. In regards to these Lalique glass figurine  that were once so commonly found in homes across the country have slowly diminished as the desire for these objects as decorative features of the home are no longer as ‘wanted’. Lalique has helped shape the idea that crystal is more valuable than glass, and there is still exists a large collectors base for these authentic Lalique pieces which have a value range of between $80-$120,000 being the most valuable. Despite, the wide value range of these pieces, it still does not represent the want, or desire as a decorative object as it once did many years ago due to the cost for these fragile, and high risk of fraudulence pieces. 

 

 

Reference Image. ca. 1925 Lalique Suzanne Art Deco Opalescent Glass  

 

 

René Lalique began his career as a jeweler apprentice at the age of 16, and by 1881 he was a freelance designer for many of the best-known Parisian jewelers. In 1887, Lalique opened a business on Rue du Quatre-September, and registered the "RL" trademark the following year. In 1890, he opened a beautiful shop in the Opera District of Paris.  Within a decade, Lalique was amongst the best-known Parisian jewelers. The production of glass objects began at his country villa in 1902. In 1905, Lalique opened a new shop at Place Vendome, which is located in Paris’ Opera center. The new store featured more than just the jewelry Lalique was creating but his glass works as well. In December of 1912, Lalique hosted an exhibition of Lalique Glass, and his glass would come to be known at the Place Vendôme shop. During the First World War. The glassworks produced, were mundane in creativity, and were mainly designed in support of the war effort. In 1919, work began on a new production facility in Wingden-sur-Moder, which opened in 1921. During the 1920s and 1930s, Lalique was amongst the world's most renowned glassmakers. In 1945 Lalique had passed away and his son Marc Lalique, took over the business, operating initially as "M.Lalique" and later as "Cristal Lalique". Under Marc's leadership, the company transitioned from producing its famous Lalique Glass to producing lead glass, commonly known as crystal. Marie-Claude Lalique took control of the company following Marc's death in 1977 and sold the business over to Pochet in 1994, as well as cx to a partnership of Art & Fragrance and the holding company Financière Saint-Germain in 2008. Since 2010, Cristal Lalique has been wholly owned by Art & Fragrance.

 

More often now than ever there are many fraudulent marks on various Lalique works, specifically the glassware products. Some of the easiest fake marks you can identify are those of which are an attempt to convince buyers and collectors that a piece of Lalique is older, and therefore more valuable than it really is.  Before Rene Lalique's death in 1945, the initial R was used in virtually all marks, for example,  "R. Lalique, France". However, after 1945, most all of the same marks continued to be used appeared without the signature "R", and later became marked with,  "Lalique, France". The existence of the letter R can increase the value of a give Lalique piece to the hundred or thousands. In continuation, the word ‘crystal’ is also not an authentic early Lalique mark due to the fact that Lalique never used to mark his works with that word, and lastly,  the phrase ‘bottle made by’ was not used on perfume bottles made by Lalique during the earlier years of his glassware production.This is why Lalique marks are forged more often than almost any other marks on glass. There is such a huge variety of forged Lalique marks in today’s world. Avoiding  pieces with these marks is crucial if you are on the look for a genuine Lalique collectible.

  

       

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