Glass c. 1954

This glass was made by Lalique, though the exact date is unknown, and is now housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The piece is a beautiful example of glasswork, but what does it tell us about its time? Lalique was working at a time of increasing industrialization, especially in France where his studio was based. Glassmaking had been refined to a high degree through industrial methods. The glass is transparent and colorless, showing a mastery of this new industrialized technique. The zigzag pattern at the base is geometric, hinting at the rise of the Art Deco style that would soon dominate. To understand the work more fully, we might consult design history, as well as historical studies of technology.