Rene Lalique 1941: "Deauville" Vase, Green Patina w/Vine. 5 3/4". Shorter Neck.

Description

"Deauville" is the very last vase designed and created by René Lalique personally in December 1941 (*), and it has a story worth telling:  Lalique, at the end of that year, was 81 years old and already very sick. He had not designed a vase in over 2 years. He was visited by his friend Robert Fossorier, a wealthy industrialist and mayor of Deauville, the famous resort in Normandy. Deauville at the time had become a nazi garrison town, occupied by the German army with no civilian allowed within a quarter mile from the coast, hardly its former image as the most exclusive French beach. Fossorier commissioned Lalique to create a "Deauville" vase which he would send to the town's most prized former vacationers and clientèle, just a message that the city would survive and rise again. Lalique liked the idea and set to work on his last vase. The message was well received: Deauville "reopened" in 1947, attended again by many who had received the vase. Fossorier, after WW2, was re-elected mayor until his death in 1962.
It is a small vase, normally 6" tall, resting on a foot and sculpted all around with a motif of blooming vine which alternates clear and frosted glass. The top of the vase, towards the opening, is clear, an area which is often ground short for repairs. It is the case here and the height, as a result, is only 5 3/4.
"Deauville" is repertoried and photographed in the large Marcilhac book, the unofficial "Lalique Bible", on page 471 of the 2010 French printing under reference" 10-935" (photo 6). The signature (photo 5) is "LALIQUE FRANCE", not "R LALIQUE..." because this particular vase was made, or at least sold, after René's death in May 1945. The vase, anyway, was only produced and sold until 1955.
The
condition is very good and the vase presents excellently. There is no break or chip. The base appears to be slightly out-centered (photo 5), which is probably from origin. As a result of the repair at the top, t
he thickness of the rim is slightly uneven. This vase was part of a pair. I sold the first one earlier, not opffering the pair as one because of the small size difference.
(*) The large Marcilhac book lists 3 vases ulterior to "Deauville", but they were designed by Marc Lalique (René's son) and others at the Lalique glassworks. These 3 vases ("Camargue", "Cancale" and "Saint Emilion") all have one thing in common, they absolutely do not resemble other vases by René Lalique.
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