LALIQUE René

LALIQUE René

René LALIQUE (for le Côte d’Azur Pullman-Express) 1860-1945

Train Panels for the Cote D'Azur Pullman Express of the Compagnie Internationale De Wagons Lits, France 1928.

"Figurines et raisins": A six part wood encased set of molded white glass consisting of three smaller grape decorated top pieces and 3 larger figural long pieces with nudes in various poses. The model designed in 1928 for the Côte d’Azur Pullman-Express

Mahogany frame coming from the old stock of "la Compagnie des Wagons-Lits".

La Compagnie des Wagons-Lits ordered these panels to Rene Lalique in order to design the train "Côte d’Azur Pullman Express"in 1928.

These panels supposed to be installed in all the prestigious new Pullman cars, the most luxurious ones of the company.The train Côte d’Azur Pullman Express is inaugurated on December 9th 1929 in France. One wagon featuring these panels by Lalique is currently preserved by French government and has French Historic Monument classification.

This wagon belonged to SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français; "National society of French railways" or "French National Railway Company").

One similar panel by Lalique has been exhibited during the event « Sur les pas d’Agatha Christie », from December 8th 2015 to April 17th 2016,  at Pointe-à-Callière Museum, archaeology and history museum in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The carriage was retired in the late 70's and the panels are then sold at auction.

Literature:
Félix Marcilhac, René Lalique – catalogue raisonné de l’oeuvre de verre,
Les Éditions de l’Amateur, Paris, 2004, P.120 showing an illustration of the Côte d'Azur Pullman Express car with the installed panels inside and P.121 depicting similar panels coming from a Pullman car. P. 866 & 867 featuring same model of panels listed in the archives under reference # 6, 12, 13 & 14.
Similar model with 6 glass panels "raisins" illustrated P.39 of the catalog published for the exhibition described above « Sur les pas d’Agatha Christie », from December 8th 2015 to April 17th 2016,  at Pointe-à-Callière Museum, archaeology and history museum in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Provenance: Private collection Italy.

Price : Sold

Materials / Techniques: Crystal & mahogany