Topic: A. Walter or Argy Rousseau like Glass: more info?

[fab]

Hello to all of you.

First of all i would like to send you all my best wishes for this 2007 new Year.

I am before all a young quimper pottery collector (20years) but i am also quite intrested in cameo glasses, but i don't know much about them.

I just discovered this board and I thought that you may could help me.
I found a few months ago this item (see pics here under) on a flea market for a couple of euros. By seeing it, I thought it was a bit like this Walter, Argy Rousseau or Despret production but to me much newer and of course not as much prestigious in the quality. It is signed DF 92 under the piece and DF 91 (i am not sure of it) in front.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j263/fab0501/A.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j263/fab0501/B.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j263/fab0501/C.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j263/fab0501/D.jpg
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j263/fab0501/E.jpg

Have you ever seen smthg like that? Could you give me more infos or your opinion about it?



Thanks,
FAB

[Max]

Hi Fab    I was hoping someone would have an answer for you, as I find this little piece interesting myself.  We don't often get pate de verre on the GMB, maybe because those pieces are often marked well, and people don't need to ask who made them.

When your posting said 'DF' I thought of Francois Decorchemont...but there is an impressed mark associated with that manufacturer/craftsperson - and if your '92' meant 1892, then F.Decorchement would have only been 12.  Although the '92' could be a pattern number, size number or whatever, if it did stand for 1892 (or 91 on the flip side of the weight) then that would make this a very early piece indeed by another company.

Out of interest, why do you think this piece is contemporary?  And I can't really see how you got 'DF' from the signature you show in the photo...maybe its my eyes!

Anyway, perhaps this will 'bump' up your message and someone with expertise will be able to suggest something for you.

[Frank]

The quality is fairly coarse and it is probably modern. But no real idea who, when or where. Argy-Rousseau is really in a different class. Keep an eye out for some in auction and go handle it.

[fab]

The quality is fairly coarse and it is probably modern. Argy-Rousseau is really in a different class.

That was also my feeling but even new i wondered where it was made. I don't have a clue. And of course Argy-Rousseau is smthg much different but still in a "far style" i would say.

Thanks anyway for trying to answer.

FAB

[sph@ngw]

(Joseph)Gabriel d'Argy Rousseau (active 1890's -1915)  is recognised as the modern inventer of "pate de verre" , a method of grinding up glass and slowly heating it up until it fluxes and flows into the shape desired (usually determined by the forming mould it has been placed in). There are three pieces in the V&A and he had a few followes, especially Daum, who re-introduced the technique for a while in the 1990's.
I believe all his pieces are clearly signed, usually d'Argy Rousseau in a trail of glass. A couple of pieces have appeared on ebay and both were on offer for over £500, so much sought after. A friend sold a nice vas at Sotheby's last year for over £5,000 but condition, number of colours , size and condition are all important.
Hope this might help others as it was a new name to me six months ago!

[nigel benson]

Hello all,

I've been off doing a bit of reading to double check my facts, as a number of things on the boards have caught my eye recently.

Argy Rousseau was born on the 17 March 1885 and was therefore not active in the 1890's through to 1915.

His first exhibition showing glass was in 1914 at the Salon Des Artistes Francais. At that time he was a completely unknown glass artist. The majority of his pate de verre was made through the 1920's, although work goes on to 1937.
 
I originally noticed this error in Andy McConnell's book on Twentieth Century Glass, published by Millers, back in late August when I bought a copy. I assume that is where you got your information, Stephen? In it Andy suggests that Argy Rousseau (amongst others) influenced Galle with work he exhibited at the 1878 Paris Exhibition - see page 71 under the title "Art Nouveau". This would not have been possible as he had not been born at the time

I thought I'd better check in case my memory was playing tricks before I made the post here to clarify a factual error Interestingly, the illustrations in Andy's book both say "1925" and "1920".

The signatures were achieved by engraving the model before it was fired.

Cheers, Nigel

[Frank]

Argy Rousseau was born on the 17 March 1885 and was therefore not active in the 1890's through to 1915.

I sincerely hope that poor Argy was active, in some respect, in the 1890's, and not comatose. Of course, indulgence at an early age was not unknown at that time

However, despite your excellence in pointing out the incongruities Nigel, how did he engrave his signature before firing when the glass was in granular form. A puzzle for me?

[Frank]

p.s. We really need you to visit more regularly Nigel. Not being critical just respecting you and wishing that you dropped by and commented with greater frequency.

[nigel benson]

My apologies, both about Argy's 'inactivity', and about the use of the term 'model'. This writing lark isn't as easy as it's cracked up to be - there's always another way of reading something, Doh!!

The description of the process of making of a piece of Argy Rousseau pate de verre is quite complex and I used the term as used in the book, "G Argy Rousseau, Glassware as an Art" by Janine Bloch-Dermant, which I think would be better conveyed here as a mould. The process describes the mould as a 'model'.

Effectively, this meant that the scratching would become raised on the finished article. A straightforward positive/negative scenario.

Hope that clarifies things, Nigel 

[Max]

That's interesting Nigel, I'd assumed it was signed after completion.  Another snippet to squirrel away.  Cheers!