For collectors, Daum is a name in the first rank of the French makers of art glass, along with those of Émile Gallé and René Lalique. Led in its early decades by the brothers Auguste (1853–1909) and Antonin Daum (1864–1931), the company, based in the city of Nancy, established its reputation in the Art Nouveau period, and later successfully adopted the Art Deco style.
In 1878, lawyer Jean Daum took over the ownership of a glassworks as payment for a debt and installed his sons as proprietors. Initially, Daum made glass for everyday purposes such as windows, watches and tableware, but the success that Gallé enjoyed at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris — the international showcase for which the Eiffel Tower was built — inspired the Daum brothers to begin making art-glass pieces. They produced popular works of cameo glass, a decorative technique in which an outer layer of glass is acid-etched or carved off to reveal the layer below, but Daum became best known for vessels and sculptures in pâte de verre — a painstaking method in which finely ground colored glass is mixed with a binder, placed in a mold and then fired in a kiln.
Though early Daum glass was never signed by individual artists, the firm employed some of the masters of the naturalistic, asymmetrical Art Nouveau style, including Jacques Grüber, Henri Bergé and Amalric Walter (whose first name is frequently misspelled). Daum also collaborated with furniture and metalware designer Louis Majorelle, who created wrought-iron and brass mounts for vases and table lamps. In the 1960s, Daum commissioned fine artists, most notably Salvador Dalí and sculptor César Baldaccini, to design glass pieces. As you see from the works offered on 1stDibs, Daum has been home to an astonishingly rich roster of creative spirits and is today a state-owned enterprise making pâte de verre figurines.
Austro-Hungarian Jeweled Silver Singing Bird Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Singing Bird Box Hallmarked Pest, 1872–1922 This exceptional silver singing bird box unites ingenious automaton engineering with richly detailed enameling. Conceived as a luxury obj...
Multi-gemstone, Silver
Fabergé Silver-Mounted Glass Covered Box
By Fabergé
Located in New Orleans, LA
Beautiful and rare, this superb silver-mounted cut glass box was crafted by the legendary Russian firm Fabergé. The rounded cut glass box features a diamond pattern, while the hinged...
Silver
German Mother of Pearl Snuff Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Magnificent layers and inlays of multi-colored mother-of-pearl cover each side of this breathtaking German snuff box. Each incredibly detailed scene is framed by finely engraved yell...
Gold
Silver-Gilt Musical Snuff Box by François Nicole
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptional Swiss silver-gilt musical snuff box was crafted by the famed François Nicole. At first glance, the diminutive piece appears to simpl...
Silver
Bolin Guilloché Enamel and Silver Pill Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Guilloché Enamel and Gilt-Silver Pill Box Bolin Produced 1882-1899 This Bolin pill box demonstrates the prestigious Russian house’s skill in guilloché enamel and silver work. The surface is adorned with off-white and pink enamel applied over a finely engine-turned ground. Its hinged lid opens to reveal a mirrored top interior. Complete with its original Bolin fitted case, the box is marked “Bolin” with an 88 zolotnik Moscow assay, dating it to the late 19th century. A rare and complete survival, it reflects the high-quality decorative work that established Bolin as a leading firm in Imperial Russia. The House of Bolin of St. Petersburg and Moscow served as jeweler to the Russian Imperial Court for over a century. Renowned for high-quality jewelry, silver and decorative objects, the firm exhibited internationally—including at the 1851 Great Exhibition—and became synonymous with refined craftsmanship for Russia’s aristocracy. Bolin’s silver...
Enamel
Fabergé Glass Box
By Peter Carl Fabergé
Located in New Orleans, LA
Beautifully rare, this superb silver-mounted cut glass toilette box was crafted by legendary Russian jeweler and artisan Peter Carl Fabergé. The rou...
Silver
Jewelry box, in silver with reliefs and five stones
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver jewelry box with reliefs on the hinged lid, engraved strips, interior lined with blue velvet and five green cabochon-shaped stones. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portugu...
Silver
Antique Art Nouveau Glass and Silver Box by Daum, France, Circa 1900
By Daum
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Acid etched and enamelled glass case with silver mount. Signed Daun Nancy. France, CIRCA 1900.
Silver
Silver jewelry box in the shape of a trunk
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Silver jewelry box in the shape of a trunk, with raised floral motifs and bows, resting on four spherical feet. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: javali II Title...
Silver
A small Arts and Crafts silver plated jewellery box with enamel decoration
Located in London, GB
A small Arts and Crafts silver plated jewellery box with enamel decoration displaying grapes and leaves to the lid and shaped sides.
Silver Plate
Antique Silver BOX Decorative Box Sterling Silver Jewllery Box Casket Home Decor
Located in Wembley, GB
Antique Sterling Silver Jewellery Box with Hunting Scene Relief Decoration Antique Sterling Silver Decorative Box, Handmade Jewellery Casket, Collectible Home Décor A rare and highly...
Gold Plate, Silver, Sterling Silver
Jewelry box in embossed silver with scrolls and plant motifs
Located in Porto, PT
Description: Jewelry box, in relief silver with scrolls and plant motifs on the hinged lid. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: Eagle Head. Weight: 207.26 grams. Dimensions: 10...
Silver
Perhaps best known as a Revolutionary War hero, Revere was also an accomplished silversmith, and this pot is now available on 1stDibs.
Discovered in Parisian cabarets, the performers reenergized the artist’s practice.
