Émile Gallé (1846–1904) was an artist who developed profound and intricate forms of expression in glass, ceramics, and furniture in the historic city of Nancy, located in the Lorraine region of eastern France, from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Over his approximately 40year career, Gallé particularly excelled in the field of glass, where he gradually advanced both technically and artistically, achieving expressions of deep spiritual significance. His final works transcended the conventional boundaries of glass, elevating the medium to the realm of art objects.

Émile Gallé’s father, Charles, operated a high-end ceramics and glass commission shop, and Émile took over the family business in 1877. The following year, at the Paris Exposition (Exposition Universelle), in which Gallé participated for the first time under his own leadership, the event reflected an unprecedented Japonisme boom.
The Flower Vase was conceived during this period. The layout, featuring designs bordered in rectangular shapes, along with motifs like dragonflies and autumn grasses, show clear influences of Japonisme. The pale blue glass material used is the “moonlight glass” that Gallé introduced at the exposition. Its refreshing hue became so popular that it was widely imitated across Europe.

Initially, Gallé’s work remained within the realm of transparent glass, but from the 1880s onwards, he began to develop various types of glass materials and techniques. He skillfully layered colors and decorations to create works of great density. Moreover, he would engrave poetic inscriptions on the glass surface, enhancing the narrative and symbolic depth of his pieces.
The lidded jar Still Waters was dedicated to Roger Marx, a high-ranking official and a friend from Gallé’s hometown, who was a strong advocate of his art. The piece depicts a mysterious world where dragonflies, butterflies, and moths dance over a pond, whose surface, tinged emerald green by the sunlight, appears stagnant. An excerpt from Victor Hugo’s poem Les rayons et les Ombres is inscribed, further enriching the work’s enigmatic atmosphere.

Japanese original text: Ruriko Tsuchida (Director, Toyama Glass Art Museum)
Translation: Kae Shigeno

*Toyama Glass Art Museum will host the exhibition “Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of His Death Émile Gallé: Longing for Paris” from November 2(Sat.), 2024, to January 26(Sun.), 2025.