BUYERS GUIDE LAL IQUE
Quite often the biggest problem most new collectors find when setting about putting a collection is which range to concentrate on. It may be that you are attracted to the hundreds of perfume bottles, a fair number being made for Coty, Molinard, Worth, Roger and Gallet and other French perfume houses. Some basic bottles can be found for under £200 but the more exciting are usually priced at between £500 and £2000. Original packaging adds significantly to the value.
MARKS AND BACKSTAMPS Apart from some perfume bottles, almost every piece of Lalique bears an etched or impressed mark. Prior to René's death in 1945, it was either the signature R. Lalique, often with France in matching script; or R. LALIQUE in bold capitals, with the base of the L sometimes elongated under rest of the letters. After René Lalique’s death in 1945 the R. was dropped and since 1950 all pieces have been marked – Lalique, France.
Lalique saw the potential to take a plain everyday object and turn it into an art object. He became the pre-eminent manufacturer of perfume bottles, designing and producing hundreds of bottles for dozens of firms. The highest selling René Lalique perfume bottle at auction is the rare 1936 perfume presentation ‘Tresor de la Mer’ made in limited edition of 100 for Saks Fifth Avenue. It consisted of a glass pearl form bottle inside an opalescent glass oyster shell. A basically complete original example with tags and box sold for $216,000 in November of 2006 at Rago in New Jersey, the original retail price was just $50!
The next 30 years brought forth an incredible array of designs, which transitioned the florid foliate styles of Art Nouveau to the bold geometric forms of Art Deco. In all, over 300 vases are documented, all but a dozen or two being production models that were intended for sale to a growing international consumer base.
Lalique's vases are another highly popular auction sale item. In 2009, the 1909 vase Deux Cigales sold at auction for over $300,000, and highly coveted production vases such as the Serpent routinely achieve prices in the $10,000 to $50,000 range. At the same time, thousands of Lalique vases in lesser demand appear at auction all over the world making prices from the low hundreds to several thousands of pounds. Even to this day, there is an R Lalique vase for every taste and every budget in nearly every colour.
THE LALIQUE LIST
WHAT TO COLLECT? Despite the inherent fragility of glass, a great deal has survived meaning collectors have a great deal to choose from. Typical items include vases, bowls, glasses, figurines, car mascots, chandeliers etc. They can be clear, frosted, stained with colour (notably shades of blue, amber, green, red or black) or opalescent. The latter is created by adding phosphates, fluorine and aluminium oxide to the glass to make it opaque and then minute quantities of pigment to create subtle tints of colour. This process in particular is very precisely controlled and as such particularly desirable with collectors.
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FAKES AND FORGERIES There are some fakes out there, both recently made and contemporary to the originals. Some are rather crude, but others are highly convincing so it’s well worth cultivating a relationship with a recommended specialist dealer. Noticeable discrepancies to look out for include the use of wrong colours, overly thick rims and, where used, all-over rather than controlled opalescence; many fakes are also much lighter than the originals.
CONDITION There is a marked premium on good condition, unless the piece is particularly rare. Cracks should be avoided as, however small at the outset, they invariably get worse (sometimes suddenly). Chips and bruises to vulnerable rims and bases can be polished by a professional restorer, however, this can be costly and often disproportionately so. Also be mindful that restoration may distort the original proportions of the piece. Lalique has been in fairly constant demand over the last 20 years, with prices, up until the recent international recession, rising consistently (notably for opalescent and coloured pieces with figural decoration). The primary reason for this may well be the fact that Lalique's distinctive modern designs and use of cool colours fit so well with many late 20th and early 21st century interiors. Either way it remains a cool and safe investment, which will return years of pleasure and enjoyment.
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