LEGRAS (1839-1916) - Vase - Sublime Large Vase with Enameled Decoration of a Majestic Wild Pheasant Among Ferns - Around 1900 - Mouth-blown glass

Circa 1900. Cristallerie Legras / Montjoye at Saint-Denis. France.

Magnificent Legras grand vase of the “Boulogne” form in mouth-blown glass, presenting an elegant baluster silhouette rising to a remarkable hexagonal neck, whose geometric lines subtly contrast with the softness and poetry of its naturalist décor.

Of very fine height, 30 cm, with ample volume, this imposing glassware immediately captivates with its delicate satin background in soft pinks, salmon, almost nacreous under light, on which unfolds an extraordinary hot-enamel and entirely hand-painted decoration.

At the heart of a luxuriant vegetation of tall grasses and large ferns appears a superb royal pheasant, proudly standing with a noble bearing.

The bird seems to truly emerge from this wild landscape. Its plumage, treated with remarkable chromatic richness, gleams with gold yellow, flaming orange, deep red and emerald green, while fine dark contours delicately outline the feathers, wings and long slender tail. Its stately carriage, delicately turned head, and the finesse of its gaze give it an almost lifelike presence.

All around it, the vegetation seems to come alive. Long grasses rise from the base while majestic ferns with delicately recurved fronds unfold towards the top of the vase. Some, still curled on themselves, add a great deal of movement and depth to this particularly successful composition.

Moreover, the decoration does not content itself with occupying a single face: it harmoniously accompanies the curves of the vase and gradually reveals itself as the piece is turned, like a true little panoramic landscape.
Sometimes the eye meets the imposing silhouette of the pheasant, other times it wanders among the ferns and tall grasses, giving this glassware a remarkable decorative presence from every angle.

The vividness of the enamels wonderfully contrasts with the softness of the satin glass. This contrast between the diffuse light of the pale pink satin background and the almost precious intensity of the plumage colors gives the whole great depth and that poetic atmosphere so characteristic of Legras’s most seductive naturalist creations of the Belle Époque.

The piece is also signed “Leg” in enamel for LEGRAS, visible in the lower part of the decoration; this remarkable vase constitutes a precious testimony to the creative genius of the Saint-Denis workshops during their golden age and ranks among the most captivating animated landscapes of French glassmaking in the 1900s.

This magnificent specimen, form “Boulogne,” is perfectly authenticated and illustrated in the famous Legras Verrier Catalogue Répertoire Raisonné, a reference work devoted to the finest productions of the manufactory (see catalog photographs).

This old grand vase is in very good condition considering its great age — over 125 years! The enamels, quite thick, have retained remarkable freshness and very beautiful color nuances, allowing full appreciation of the finesse of the pheasant as well as that of the vegetation.

One will simply note a few small firing defects called air bubbles, quite common, trapped in the glass at the top of the neck during manufacture and firing, characteristic of the artisanal glass-blowing work of this period. They in no way detract from the charm or beauty of this magnificent piece and indeed testify to its traditional production method.

Under the base is a pretty trace of the pontil of the blowpipe, cut with tongs, moving testimony to the old techniques of manufacture and the remarkable artisanal know-how of the Saint-Denis glassmakers.

Very beautiful Art Nouveau period collectible from the late 19th century, from the Nancy school. Daum Nancy era, Gallé, French Glass, Schneider, Lalique...

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