Gallé "Seagulls" Cameo Glass Vase
Établissements Gallé’s Seagull vase stands as a striking testament to both technical mastery and historical commemoration. Commissioned in May 1927 to honor the celebrated aviator Marc Bernard—who, in late 1926, completed the pioneering first seaplane flight from France to Madagascar, then a French colony—the vase captures the spirit of daring and adventure that defined the era of early aviation. Contemporary newspaper accounts document the commission and emphasize the symbolic significance of the work as a tribute to Bernard’s achievement.
The vase’s design is animated with seagulls captured in mid-flight, their wings and bodies rendered with remarkable dynamism over the foaming, crested white waves of the Indian Ocean. The birds’ feathers are delicately defined through Gallé’s signature acid-etched relief technique, a hallmark of the firm’s unparalleled craftsmanship. A moody sky of shifting greens and blues provides a dramatic backdrop, evoking the vast and unpredictable expanse of the ocean over which Bernard so boldly traveled.
Item #: YG-22166
Artist: Émile Gallé
Country: France
Circa: 1927
Dimensions: 14.125" height.
Materials: Cameo Glass
Signed: Gallé
Item #: YG-22166
Artist: Émile Gallé
Country: France
Circa: 1927
Dimensions: 14.125" height.
Materials: Cameo Glass
Signed: Gallé
Following the official presentation ceremony, Marc Bernard and his wife were welcomed at the Établissements Gallé, where they were given a private tour of the workshops, observing the intricate processes involved in the creation of such a masterful piece. The couple received the original Seagull vase, and the event was commemorated with a formal group photograph alongside the senior staff of the factory—an enduring record of the intersection between artistic innovation and heroic human achievement.
Following the official presentation ceremony, Marc Bernard and his wife were welcomed at the Établissements Gallé, where they were given a private tour of the workshops, observing the intricate processes involved in the creation of such a masterful piece. The couple received the original Seagull vase, and the event was commemorated with a formal group photograph alongside the senior staff of the factory—an enduring record of the intersection between artistic innovation and heroic human achievement.
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