Nanking, vase
designed 1925
Medium
glass (mould-blown, polished and stained)
Measurements
33.3 × 33.3 × 33.3 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2019
Gallery location
Mid 20th Century Paintings & Decorative Arts Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
René Lalique was one of the most important glass artists of the early twentieth century. At the time of the 1925 International Exhibition in Paris, Lalique was in his sixties and his glass business was at the peak of its success. Nanking, vase was designed by his daughter Suzanne Lalique-Haviland, who designed several vase models for her father’s business. The vase is named after the Chinese city of Nanking, now Nanjing, which had many examples of Art Deco architecture, symbolic of the city’s emerging modernity. The bold geodesic form of the vase is enhanced with triangular decoration in matte black sunken relief, contrasting with the highly polished and reflective raised surfaces.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Wingen-sur-Moder, France
Inscription
incised in base c.: R. Lalique
Accession Number
2019.1118
Department
International Decorative Arts