Legras & Cie. Montjoie. France, ca. 1900.

Legras & Cie. Montjoie, Saint Denis Glassworks. France, ca. 1900.
Pair of Art Nouveau vases.
Wheel cut glass.
Signed.
Measurements: 53 x 22,5 x 22,5 cm.

Pair of vases signed by Legras, whose stylized bodies are decorated at shoulder height by a group of birds with wings spread, finely chiseled in their plumage, flying at different heights. The figures are carved on the wheel, with a finish in sienna and earth tones on white.

François-Théodore Legras, at the age of 20, entered the glass factory near his native village as a clerk. This is where he learned his trade. At the age of 24 he left his native Vosges to go to work at the glass factory in La Plaine Saint-Denis , a suburb of the city of Saint Denis near Paris, where he was hired as a clerk. Six months later, he became head of production and in 1866, with 27 years, became director of the glass factory. He then built a new modern factory and a workers' estate which, over the years, became an industrial complex of almost 20,000 square meters. He became managing director of Legras et Cie, then of Verrerie et Cristallerie de Saint-Denis. He participated in numerous national and international exhibitions where he was often awarded prizes. He was also responsible for the glass and crystal part of the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1909, he handed over the management of his business to his nephew Charles Legras . From 1914, production changed style and was inspired by Art Deco, with a return to simple lines and a certain sobriety. Legras' production will be effective until 1928. His favorite subjects are all varieties of chrysanthemums, lilies and orchids. He also made frosted glasses. He practiced all glass techniques and was a great admirer of Emile Gallé whom he tried to imitate in artistic pieces. Legras' artistic creations are not always signed, but their form often allows them to be recognized.