René Lalique 'Poissons' opalescent and clear glass coupe, No. 3262, designed 1931

Notes

This circular dish with stylised spiralling sardines surrounding a bubbly centre is one of Lalique's earliest and most recognisable piscine motifs. In the early 1920s, he was exploring rotational, rhythmic compositions inspired by nature. The swirling fish create a dynamic vortex, a signature Art Deco device he used again in Tourbillons and Serpent.

Most opalescent pieces were made between 1925 and 1937. Opalescence is not a surface treatment but rather a chemical that is added to the glass itself, which causes it to change character in different light.

This model was discontinued in 1947, making all pieces pre-war or immediate post-war production.

Literature

Félix Marcilhac, René Lalique 1860-1945 Maître-verrier, Analyse et Catalogue Raisonné de L'Œuvre de Verre, Paris, 1994, page 757

Provenance

The Vera Dubin Collection.