Haute Cristallerie Vol De Jour Vase

Reissues of a model unveiled at the 1878 World’s Fair, the Vol de Jour and Vol du Soir vases are distinguished by their sober silhouette and the delicacy of their naturalistic decoration. They reflect the growing fascination of European decorative arts with Eastern aesthetics. At the end of the nineteenth century, the prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige transformed the perception of nature making it more graphic, expressive, and symbolic. This influence appears in the Japonist motifs of the two vases, engraved with extreme precision using a wheel. With grinding wheels and specialized tools, engravers sculpt the material to create subtle effects of light and transparency. Only the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, trained in the Manufacture’s workshops, achieve such mastery. On the Vol de Jour vase, the engraving comes to life with delicate brush-applied touches of gold and color. The rich, nuanced enamel follows the motif of flowering trees and enhances the movement of the birds, capturing a luminous moment in nature. Black crystal, by contrast, is dense and almost opaque, revealing the slightest variation as light catches every relief and incision.