Cameo Lamp by Émile Gallé

Impressive in both size and artistry, this magnificent lamp is the work of the famed Art Nouveau master Émile Gallé, one of the most highly regarded names in French glassmaking. The artist's appreciation of nature is evident in the detailed rendition of vines and leaves that scroll along the surface of the lamp. Gallé's application of red leaves against yellow glass lends the piece an autumnal air, and the color provides a warm glow when the lamp is lit. Measuring nearly two feet high, this lamp is much taller than is typical of Gallé's pieces, yet it maintains its grace and proportion.

Émile Gallé opened a small woodworker's shop in 1885, where he began experimenting with marquetry designs in furniture and naturalistic glass designs. In 1889, he displayed his new glass creations at the Paris International Exhibition, where the designs and colors not previously seen caused an immediate sensation. The new style of Art Nouveau had begun to appear, and the movement's aesthetics and devotion to nature appealed greatly to the young Gallé. In 1894 Gallé built a manufacturing plant in Nancy and began creating his own designs from inception through production. Gallé personally developed many of the designs, and he was known to actively make alterations and approve the designs of his talented team of designers and craftsmen he employed at the "Cristallerie D'Emile Gallé."

Signed "Gallé" on shade and base

Circa 1900

11 7/8" diameter x 22 3/8" high