Estimation Gallé Lamp
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Gallé Lamp
Do you own any Gallé Lamp? Are you curious to know what they are worth? Our Experts can provide an appraisal to give you an estimate of the market price, then help you to ensure the best possible price should you decide to sell.
The birth of a family business
Gallé glassworks are, along with Daum glassworks, one of the most famous Art Nouveau glass producers.
Founded by Charles Gallé, around 1845, the family glassworks business was reinvigorated when his son Émile Gallé joined the management team in 1867. That same year, Émile Gallé represented the family glassware at the World Exposition, where they received an honourable mention for their glassware, showing contemporary recognition.
In 1884, the first Gallé factory was built, marking the transition from craftsmanship to industry and the advent of a new era for the creation of Gallé glassworks. In 1895, Julien Roiseux, one of the most famous glass artists of the time, was hired by Gallé. Gallé glassworks became more and more popular and in 1900 the company had 200 employees.
Émile Gallé, a highly educated individual, brought a breath of fresh air to the company by incorporating his passion for botany and natural sciences into his knowledge of glass and ceramics and the production of his craft. While this is reflected in the decorations of his creations, the attraction for these sciences is also very theoretical and led to the creation of the Ecole de Nancy in 1901. This school aimed to democratise beauty and art where the essential inspiration was to be found in plant forms.
Characteristics of the Gallé lamp
The inspiration from plant patterns remains a leitmotif in Gallé glassworks. The technique of his acid-worked glass productions is also ever-present in the design their vases and lamps. In this case, the piece is made up of several successive layers of different-coloured glass which are immersed in an acid bath that corrodes certain areas, revealing the decoration.
Many fake pieces exist. It is easy to recognise them if they have signatures or blurred decorations. The whole piece must be clean, with a precise rendering of the drawing and a signature proportionate to the size of the object.
There are different models for the lamps in particular. The lamp Les Coprins (1902), became characteristic of a first type of creation which was then used to make lamps in the shape of flowers. What followed is that the wrought iron base formed the base of the flower and the coloured and engraved glass took the shape of a stem. Finally, the light would be located in the flower’s floral receptacle. The same applies to the famous Girandole coloquinte (1902), a light suspension where the wrought iron imitates leaves and branches while the lamps are made to resemble squashes.
A second type of lamp, again inspired by Art Nouveau, is found in the so-called “mushroom” type lamps. The latter is characterised by a lamp base with a circular heel and a baluster-shaped shaft. The lampshade, which gives the lamp its name, is a tiered conical bulb cover. These multi-coloured lamps are decorated with plant motifs.
Selling prices of a Gallé lamp
Gallé lamps are still very popular in today’s art market. If the lamp is certified as a genuine Gallé, it is generally valuated between 1,,000and 20,000 euros. For example, the Three-petaled snowdrop motif lamp bulb in white glass was valuated between 15,000 and 20,000 euros (Drouot, 1 March 2018) or a Mushroom lamp signed Gallé, in a gilded bronze frame which sold at auction for 18,588 euros (Drouot, 11 March 2009). On the other hand, it should be noted that some auctions may be soaring, as was the case of the New York auction (14 December 2007) for the Rhododendron lamp (ca. 1925), which sold for 140,404 euros.
How do we appraise your Gallé Lamp?
Requesting an online appraisal of your lamp is simple. You just need to complete our appraisal form with a brief description and some photos. This information will be sent directly to one of our Gallé experts who will provide you with a price range and sales advice.
A team of experts and auctioneers
If you own an Gallé Lamp, use our online form for an appraisal.
You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent opinion of the market price. Should you wish to sell your lamp, our specialists will also advise you on the various options available for selling at the best price.
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