The art of glassmaking has always been at the heart of the French decorative arts, and no company embodies this better than Daum. It began as a glassworks in 1878, founded by Jean Daum in Nancy in the heart of the Lorraine region. The true spirit of Daum as a leader in the artistic movements of the decorative arts started in 1891, when his son Antonin inaugurated the art department. The first pieces were decorated with very finely cut flowers and were the precursors to the style we know as Art Nouveau.
The workshops began to master the art and techniques of the shaping of hot glass, acid etching, engraving, glass painting, and the use of triple layered glass to produce graduations in color. Throughout the end of the 19th century, and the beginning of the 20th, many inventions and patents came to pass at Daum. In fact, Daum was the first to cloak electric lamps in glass.
In 1920, under the direction of Paul Daum, the first pieces in the Art Deco style were created. The glass took on an almost "mineral" aspect- it was frosted, cut deeply, and decorated in the style of cutting-edge cubist design. It was this innovative spirit that led many to seek out Daum, including a very important commission to produce the tableware for the ocean liner Normandie.
Daum re-discovered the technique of pate de verre in 1968, which is what they are most famous for today. This rare and ancient process, dating back to 5000 B.C, is extremely difficult to master; however, the pieces produced by this method have a texture, substance, and softness simply not attainable any other way. It is actually a paste made of crystal with a 30% lead content. It originates from specially produced batches of crystal melted and broken into smaller pieces. Several factors have a bearing on the final color, including the size of the fragments, proportions, chemical reaction between certain minerals, and the rate of increase and decrease in temperature within the kilns. The following steps illustrate how a piece is made in pate de verre:
Step 1: The sculptor produces an initial model in clay from pencil drawings. From this, an original model in plaster is made and the details are fine tuned.
Step 2: Once the model is complete, it is used to produce a negative mold in elastomer, or rubber. This material is poured to follow exact shape and details. It is flexible and produces a hollow mold of the original form.
Step 3: When the original plaster mold is removed, hot wax is then poured into the hollow rubber mold. When the wax is set, it creates a sculpture in wax.
Step 4: The wax model is then further reworked and refined. It is encased in plaster, and the entire object is set in a kiln. While in the kiln, the wax melts and runs out of the plaster mold through a hole drilled previously. Thus the nickname, the "lost wax method" with which many are familiar.
Step 5: When the wax has drained out, the hollow part of the mold is then filled with the differently sized and colored pieces of fragmented crystal, called "groisil." It is placed in a kiln and the temperature is gradually raised to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit over a 10 day period. The groisil melts and flows into all of the crevices in the mold. The temperature is slowly reduced while cooling.
Step 6: Once the piece is completely cooled, the plaster mold is broken, revealing the sculpture in pate de verre.
After all of these steps, Daum then takes quality control to the next level. The piece begins a series of checks of color, shape, and quality. It is then cleaned, buffed, and polished until it is exactly what the artist imagined. Only after a final quality control check does the piece receive the famous Daum signature.
Every laborious step is followed for every piece of Daum, from the smallest flower to the largest vase. This is why every piece of Daum pate de verre is truly a one-of-a-kind piece, painstakingly created by hand from the initial idea to the final execution.
4.5" Height
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