Marc Lalique

MARC LALIQUE (Paris, France, 1900 - 1977).
Door handles "Faunes", ca. 1960.
Frosted glass.
Signed.
Measurements: 42 x 13 x 8 cm.

Pair of handles in cut and frosted glass, model "Faunes", created by Marc Lalique in the early 1960s. Each of the cylindrical handles depicts two fauns in bas-relief, Bacchic creatures dancing inebriated among vine leaves and bunches of grapes.

Marc Lalique was born in 1900 in Paris, son of René Lalique and Alice Ledru and brother of Suzanne Lalique-Haviland. He was responsible for the shift from glass to crystal in the early 1950s. After studying at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Marc Lalique joined his father in the family business in 1922. He was a highly skilled technician and frequently visited the Wingen-sur-Moder factory to supervise new production techniques. Upon his father's death in 1945, Marc took the helm. His technical inclination and expertise led him to renovate and modernize the Wingen-sur-Moder factory, and Lalique quickly became one of the best glass manufacturers, not only in France but worldwide. The contrast between pure transparency and satin sheen became Lalique's hallmark, at home and abroad. Marc Lalique's most famous pieces include the Angel glass, inspired by the Smiling Angel of the Cathedral of Reims, a reference to the Lalique family's origins in the Champagne region, and the famous L'Air du Temps Nina Ricci perfume bottle. He died in 1977, leaving his daughter Marie-Claude in charge of the Cristallerie Lalique.