The head of Creative Production design at one of France’s most revered art glass manufacturers, Daum, Benoit Crantz, was recently in New York for a special appearence on December 4th at the Park Avenue showroom. He demonstrated the unveiling of a sculpture via Daum’s famed lost wax technique…a slow luxury indeed.

Today the atelier, which has collaborated with artists from Salvatore Dali to Philippe Starck, is an internationally known name, collected for art glass mastery depicting exquisite florals, fauna and figure sculpture of all sizes and majesty. The pate verre technique results in unparalleled color variations, textures, bubbles, detail and abilities to catch light and imagination. The lost wax, or cire perdue, technique captures every detail. This is a slow and ancient process, the pate verre dates back to Ancient Egypt and cire perdue dates back 5,000 years to roots in India. This deep history and lineage with the arts explains the fascination that a wide audience has for Daum.

This season, tiny to massive figures of Ganesh are popular. The artist collaborations are shared from the imagination of artists to the craftspeople of the atelier. It is the light that is invited every day and evolves, as the object is owned and lived with and the light changes within rooms.

The piece by Sylvie Mangaud Lasseigne is unveiled.

The matte finish and the bubbles are trademark Daum, although the polished and sleek is also realized.

While nature scenes were bucolically pictured early on, they would be quite at home in a modern composition, mixed with the sensitivity of furnishings, colors, textures and design of various eras. (or in a David Lynch movie)

This Appaloosa tulip vase comes in sizes from 3 inches high to about 30 inches high. Powerful. Vases are receptivity, suggesting a very female welcoming. Perhaps this one could have been the focal point of a room or a table in Georgia O’Keefe’s home.

Compare with Philippe Starck’s collaboration with Daum, La Toute Petite Etrangete (All Small Strangeness), the smallest of the vase series he designed for Daum in 1988.

Dali’s collaboration, a lime green, heavy footed kind of thing, boasts a humor and attitude of the artist.

Imagine the slow luxury of discovering and collecting this history of art and style.

Captivating to study and collect, they remain to be discovered at 499 Park Avenue between 58th and 59th Street, New York, New York or at auction. This 1930’s Daum vase recently sold at Christie’s is testament to the timeless beauty, craft and value of Daum.

Jade Dressler