AN EARLY AND RARE VASE, CIRCA 1880

A son of a glassmaker, Gallé was exposed to a variety of glassmaking techniques from an early age. As his interests developed, Gallé travelled extensively through Europe in the 1860s and 1870s with the goal of developing his oeuvre. Gallé studied innovative designers and museum collections such as the Oriental collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Orientalism was in its blossoming stages in Europe and themes from the Middle East and East Asia became evermore dominant in the decorative arts. In this example, Gallé clearly pulls from this Eastern influence by choosing a baluster shaped form, strong yellow and blue enamelling and the ever popular dragon motif.