Carlo Bugatti (Italian, 1855-1940)

Once you have seen a piece of furniture by Carlo Bugatti, it is hard to forget.  His furniture is know for the inclusion of unusual materials, such as parchment, mixed metals, silk and exotic woods and the combining of Moorish, African and Japanese aesthetics. In 1888, Bugatti showed his designs at the Milan Industrial Arts Exhibition and the response to his designs was immediate and led to many commissions. In 1898 he established his studio based in Milan called ‘C. Bugatti & C., Fabbrica Mobili Artistici Fantasia.’  The name of the studio hinting at his design style. He continued to show at world’s fairs including the 1900 L'Exposition de Paris, where his designs captured the essence of the Art Nouveau movement. After 1900, Bugatti started producing more works in silver, exhibiting at the 1907 at the Paris gallery of A. A. Hébrard. Bugatti called his fantastical silver pieces ‘Ses Bêtes’ (his creatures).

Desk, ca. 1902 Walnut, copper, pewter, vellum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Chair, ca.1895, Partly ebonized wood, vellum seat and back, metal inlay and embossed metal decoration. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK.

Settee ca. 1900. Walnut, brass, pewter, vellum and silk. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Silver Claret Jug. ca. 1907 dragonfly and grotesque motifs. Christies, New York.  Lot 908, Sale 1733 Important 20th Century Decorative Arts & Design, 2006.

René Lalique

René Lalique is a name synonymous with the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements as a talented designer who produced works in jewelry and glass. Born in 1860 in Aÿ-en-Champagne in France, Lalique trained as a jeweler, both in France and England. In 1887, he set up his workshop in Paris, producing innovative jewelry pieces inspired by Antiquity and Japonisme. Only some three years later, Lalique opened his third Paris workshop and began to experiment with designs in glass and enamel. Success at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle and led to patronage of the actress Sarah Bernhardt and many wealthy clients. In 1907 he entered a partnership with François Coty producing designs for the perfumer. Success with glassmaking led Lalique to found a dedicated glassworks in Alsace in the 1920s. More acclaim followed at the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes with his innovative juxtaposition of frosted and clear glass, use of enameling and stained glass. Two of his most famous commissions are decorating the Côte D’Azur Pullman Express train in 1929 and in 1935. glass on the Normandie luxury liner. Lalique died in 1945, but his business survives to this day continuing the tradition of craftsmanship.

René Lalique, Pendant, ca.1901, Paris, France. Gold, enamel, opal, pearl, diamonds. The Metropolitan Museum, New York

René Lalique, Vase, ca. 1930, Paris, France. Clear glass, nymphs from Greek mythology. The Metropolitan Museum, New York

René Lalique, Perfume bottle, modern, designed 1920, Trois Hirondelles (three swallows). Lalique.com (France)