Vase Decorated with Gum Leaves, c.1911
Auguste Daum (1853-1909)
Antonin Daum (1864-1903)
Etched cameo glass
Height: 15cm

This vase was made in France by the Daum Brothers (Auguste and Antonin). They worked from a factory in Nancy from the 1880s onwards. The group of glass makers to which the Daum brothers belonged included Emile Galle, Louis Majorelle and Victor Prouve. While Galle was known for producing individual pieces the Daum brothers were known for their larger editions of commercial glass, especially their light fittings. The group of glass artists to which the Daum brothers belonged produced a great deal of the finest Art Nouveau glass.

By 1890 the Daum studios in Nancy began producing vases decorated with figures and flowers. This Daum compote consists of a scalloped bowl in mottled yellow and orange overlaid in grey green and cut with a pattern of gum nuts, gum blossoms and gum leaves. Its tapering base is decorated with stylised foliage and is raised on a short circular foot. This vase is typical of Art Nouveau glass inspired by the flowing sinuous forms of nature.