A practical guide to Daum glass

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Daum-Nancy is world –wide known for its glass. In this article Mrs Tiny Esveld wants to show the different types of Daum glass. All these examples of vases were or are for sale in the gallery Tiny Esveld, In Rijkevorsel in Belgium.

The Daum family, a dynasty

Jean Daum, a notary from Bitche, borrowed money to the proprietors of a glass factory. When these men could not repay their debt, Jean Daum became the owner of the factory. It is the year 1878 in Nancy. Just a few years after the German-French war. The borderline moved close to Nancy and all the rich people, including the Daum family, who found themselves suddenly in German territory, moved to Nancy. Nancy became a prosperous town. Jean Daum risked all his money and the only way to survive, was to get every member of the family involved. Two of his sons were to lead the factory. They married daughters of rich businessmen. The dowries these ladies brougth into their marriage went straight into the glassfactory. The three daughters of Jean Daum were asked not to marry. He did not want to spent money on their dowry.These women, Louise, Jeanne and Fanny, were non-payed employees the rest of their lives.

The factory started with producing drinking glasses and pitchers. In 1891 they started with artistic glass. The success of Emile Galle was inspiring. As the Daum family was a family of investors and not of artists, they hired the best artists they could find. Jacques Gruber, Henri Berge, Almaric Walter and Charles Schneider were four of the many artists working for Daum. These men could not use their own name. All the vases were signed Daum. The factory produced high quality glass.
In 1900 Daum got his first “ Grand Prix”. Daum’s great achievement were the vitrified vases, they started to make in 1903. These were outstanding. The Daum lamp with the forest is a beautiful example of this technique. Daum did not copy Galle. They found their own path. Ofcourse many of the Galle and Daum vases resemble. They were made in the same era. They both used wheel engraving and acid-etching. But with the intercalair and enamel vases, Daum took his own place in the art nouveau period. People all over the world love these little vases with natural flowers and landscapes. The shapes are attractive, the etching is very refined and the colours are pleasant to the eye. A fine example is the orchid vase.

Daum joined forces with Louis Majorelle. Daum did not have a carpentry section, nor an iron workshop. They needed Majorelle for the woodwork and the ironwork. This collaboration was flourishing. Majorelle made some of the finest bronze mounts for Daum lamps. These lamps were exhibited on Majorelle tables and cabinets. Daum and Majorelle displayed each others work in their showrooms.
Just alone they could not compete with Galle. When Galle died in 1904, it was a great advantage for Daum.
After the first world war the third generation continued the work their fathers and grandfather had started. The art deco period had begun.

Daum glass continued to renew it self with the spirit of the period.
After the second world war the colourless crystal is favourite. Clocks, candlesticks, lampbases, animalfigures, etc. are thankful weddingpresents. In 1981 the last member of the Daum family leaves the factory. The factory had been taken over by CFC, compagnie francaise du cristal.
The new firm continued to use the legendary “Daum” name. The firm has been sold several times since then.

The history of the Daum factory starts in 1878 with Jean Daum buying an old glass factory in need for his two sons. This factory produced tableware, drinking glasses and decanters in clear glass with gilding.

First period. Drinking glasses and art glass with historic influences. 1878-1895.

Gradually the line of product of this factory changes into art glass. First they procuce drinking glasses with gilding. So mouth blown glass and then handpainted with gold. When you buy such a glass , the gold must be still fresh and visible. No two pieces are identical.

Then their drinking glasses become little pieces of art. Some of the glasses are wheelcarved by hand. Some are acid-etched and some have a combination of these three techniques, gilding, carving and acid-etching. Most of the glass is clear glass, but after a while they start to use light green, light pink and light brown. The subjects on the glass can be flowers of the region or historic themes linked to national feelings of Lorrain. Such as the French rooster or the thistle or a fleur de lis. Sometimes these pictures are accompanied with a text. In this case , we name the glass: “verrerie parlante”. In English this means: “talking glass”. One that I personally like enormously ,is the one with the poison ivy: “Je meurs ou je m’attache”.I find this so romantic. Another example is: Qui s’y frotte, s’y pique.” This text is accompanied with the thistle. When you touch a thistle , it will hurt. Really these vases refer to the French-German war in 1870. The French want to say: “Germany do not touch us, you will get hurt.” The world exposition in1889 influenced the Daum brothers enormously. Antonin and Auguste Daum were impressed by the work of the great art nouveau artist Emile Galle. This was the beginning of a new era.

The art nouveau period by Daum. 1895-1914

Cameo glass and pate de verre.

The Daum brothers decided to start their own art department. With the help of Jacques Gruber and Henri Berge and Almaric Walter and Charles Schneider ,they designed vases and lamps and chandeliers and art objects.

Many of these objects were made as art objects, not to be used. That is why many of these objects have survived a century, because they were displayed in cabinets as objects of value. They were extremely expensive at the beginning of the 20th century and still are a hundred years later.

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A practical guide to Daum glass