René Lalique "Sirënes et Cabochons" Vase, ca. 1914
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GUEST:
It was my mother's. I believe she bought it from an antique dealer when she was first married.
APPRAISER:
Well, the vase was designed and made by René Lalique.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
It's called Sirënes et Cabochons. Sirënes are sirens -- mermaids, if you like. And the cabochons are these sort of lumps in between them. René Lalique began his career as a jeweler in the 1880s. And he became the most successful jeweler in the world. But he wasn't really satisfied with that. In 1912, he's 52 years old, he officially becomes a glassmaker. But this vase, to me, which was designed by the way in 1913 and released in 1914, very early in René Lalique's glassmaking career, ideally represents those two careers in transition. It's really a glass vase wrapped in a necklace. The sirënes et cabochons are taken directly from René Lalique's jewelry designs, and he's put it around the neck of a glass vase.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Now, I hope you didn't chip this on the way here today.
GUEST:
No, that's been chipped for my whole life.
APPRAISER:
Your whole life.
GUEST:
My whole life.
APPRAISER:
With damage, if you lose the integrity of the object, if you lose the original intent, the original form, you're going to lose the value. If you like, the genie escapes from the bottle.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
But in this case, I believe that this can be successfully and professionally restored to the point where the integrity will still be there. I cannot say that the damage does not make a difference because it does. But nevertheless, I would have to say this one, at auction, in this condition,
would be worth at least $4,000 and maybe as much as $6,000.
GUEST:
Very nice. Very nice. Thank you very much.
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