Crystal Swallows by Lalique

Founded in 1888, Lalique celebrated its 130th anniversary and launched a new collection of accessories and tableware. The designers of LALIQUE produced several items with swallows as a cross-cutting motif for the 130th anniversary of the brand. The premiere took place in January “at home,” at the Maison&Objet exhibition in Paris. The inspiration came from the sketches of Rene Lalique, the founder of the brand, artist, jeweler, sculptor, and one of the key figures in the history of French art of the first half of the 20th century. The vase, recreated according to the historical sketches of the master, has been produced in 130 copies and promises to become a rarity right now. The production was started by Rene Lalique in 1921 in Wingen-sur-Moder, the village in Alsace, and is still there. Most of the items are made using the same “lost wax” technology as it was in the master’s time. The swallows on the vase of Lalique himself are made with gilding. This item is the core and starting point for the entire collection. Gilded swallows decorated the decanter cork as well. The rest of the collection items combine transparent and matte crystal of sapphire blue and white. While creating the collection, designers thought that the swallow was a symbol of spring, happiness, and freedom. The sacred plots for Rene Lalique, which are flora, fauna, and smooth forms of the female body, received a modern twist in the collection. As it always has been at LALIQUE, every single thing is self-sufficient: it is the central art object in the interior but at the same time it has potential for creating flexible compositions of several objects; it can be a start or continuation of a whole “collection of rarities.” The collection can be found in the Ambiance boutique.