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

Literature

Félix Marcilhac (1994) René Lalique, 1860–1945: Maître-verrier, Analyse et Catalogue Raisonné de l’Œuvre de Verre, Paris, illustrated on page 757

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.