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Lalique is a French luxury
glassmaker Glass production involves two main methods – the float glass process that produces sheet glass, and glassblowing that produces bottles and other containers. It has been done in a variety of ways during the history of glass. Glass container pro ...
, founded by glassmaker and jeweller René Lalique in 1888. Lalique is produced
glass art Glass art refers to individual works of art that are substantially or wholly made of glass. It ranges in size from monumental works and installation pieces to wall hangings and windows, to works of art made in studios and factories, including gl ...
, including perfume bottles, vases, and hood ornaments during the early twentieth century. Following the death of René, Lalique transitioned to producing
lead glass Lead glass, commonly called crystal, is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead glass contains typically 18–40% (by mass) lead(II) oxide (PbO), while modern lead crystal, historically a ...
(crystal) works during the 1950s while under the direction of René's son, Marc Lalique. In 2010, Lalique was purchased by a Swiss company named Art & Fragrance SA, now known as Lalique Group SA.


History

René Lalique (1860–1945) began his career as a jewellery apprentice at the age of 16, and by 1881 he was a freelance designer for many of the best-known Parisian jewellers. In 1885, he opened his own workshop on Place Gaillon in Paris, the former workshop of Jules Destape. In 1887, Lalique opened a business on Rue du Quatre-Septembre, and registered the "RL" mark the following year. In 1890, he opened a shop in the Opera District of Paris. Within a decade, Lalique was amongst the best-known Parisian jewellers. In 1905, Lalique opened a new shop at Place Vendôme which exhibited not only jewellery, but glass works as well. It was close to the shop of renowned perfumer
François Coty François Coty (; born Joseph Marie François Spoturno ; 3 May 1874 – 25 July 1934) was a French perfumer, businessman, newspaper publisher, politician and patron of the arts. He was the founder of the Coty, Coty perfume company, today a multin ...
; in 1907, Lalique began producing ornate perfume bottles for Coty. The production of glass objects began at his country villa in 1902, and continued there until at least 1912. The first Lalique glassworks opened in 1909 in a rented facility in Combs-la-Ville, which Lalique later purchased in 1913. In December 1912, Lalique hosted an exhibition of Lalique Glass—as his glass would come to be known—at the Place Vendôme shop. During the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the glassworks produced mundane items in support of the war effort. In 1919, work began on a new production facility in Wingen-sur-Moder, which opened in 1921. From 1925 to 1931, Lalique produced 29 models of hood ornaments; a mermaid statuette first produced in 1920 was also later sold as a hood ornament. During the 1920s and 1930s, Lalique was amongst the world's most renowned glassmakers. René Lalique died in 1945. 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 Lead glass, commonly called crystal, is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead glass contains typically 18–40% (by mass) lead(II) oxide (PbO), while modern lead crystal, historically a ...
, commonly known as ''crystal''. Marie-Claude Lalique took control of the company following Marc's death in 1977. It was sold to Pochet in 1994 and 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, who rebranded in 2016 as Lalique Group. The company is ultimately owned by Silvio Denz, an entrepreneur and Swiss national.


Works

Today, Lalique produces an array of luxury products in five main categories: jewellery, decorative items, interior design, perfumes, and art. The company is best known for the production of artistic glass works and fragrances such as Lalique Encre Noire, primarily using crystal (lead glass) since the mid-twentieth century. The addition of perfumes (in 1992) and non-glass decorative items and art (since 2011) are recent additions to Lalique's product line. Reproductions of designs by René Lalique have increased since 2009. From its founding until the 1900s–1910s, Lalique was one of France's foremost
Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
jewellery designers. Famous for designs combining precious stones and metals with non precious materials such as horn, glass and enamel. 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 (about 300 designs), hood ornaments (30 designs), and decorative glass works, such as inkwells, bookends, and paperweights. Sometimes collaborating with his daughter Suzanne Lalique, Lalique also designed several interiors, incorporating copious amounts of glass, including interiors for: the SS ''Paris'', the SS ''Ile de France'', the SS ''Normandie'', Orient Express railroad cars, Peace Hotel (Shanghai), Oviatt Building (Los Angeles), and St Matthew's Church (
Jersey Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
).


Factory

The company's sole production facility is the ''Cristallerie Lalique'' in Wingen-sur-Moder. It was opened in 1921 as the ''Verrerie d'Alsace'' (Alsace Glassworks) and given its present name in 1962.


References


External links

* {{Authority control Glassmaking companies of France Glass trademarks and brands Design companies established in 1888 French companies established in 1888 French brands