Industrial Galle Vase
This comprises the output of the Galle glassworks from the time of his death in 1904 to 1914, when they were closed for the duration of the First World War and from their post-war reopening in 1919 until their final closure in 1936. It excludes, however, the small production of fine quality glass that was made for a short while following the death of Galle.
Under the direction of Galle’s son-in-law, Paul Perdrizet, the output of the glassworks was restricted to mostly two or three layered glass, acid-etched with cameo floral or scenic designs in repeating patterns and some enameled glass, mostly of the table variety of or made to special order. The floral, plant or scenic patterns were made using templates, while the vessels themselves were made in a variety of shaped molds. Some of the later production is characterized by mostly two layered vessels with badly delineated cameo design, caused presumably by the breaking down of the templates. They are in pale greens and purples, or else in very dark aubergine and brown. Some late industrial vases are quite spectacular, either by virtue of their size or the play of light on the glass colors.
The fairly large quantity of late industrial glass had tended to associate this particular type of glass with Galle in the mind of the public, particularly since this is the type of glass which was imitated all over Europe for many years. It was indeed, relatively inexpensive and very popular for a long time.
