Vase with the Head of a Woman Surrounded by Foliage

Object Name: 
Vase with the Head of a Woman Surrounded by Foliage

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Object Name: 
Vase with the Head of a Woman Surrounded by Foliage
Place Made: 
Accession Number: 
85.3.10
Dimensions: 
H: 13 cm, D (max.): 11.9 cm
Location: 
On Display
Date: 
1888
Credit Line: 
Gift of The Honorable and Mrs. Amory Houghton
Web Description: 
This vase parlante (speaking vase) is inscribed with a quotation by the Romantic poet Alfred Victor de Vigny (1797-1863): “Le soleil et les vents. . . Des feuilles sur son front faisaient flotter les ombres. A. de Vigny.” (The sun and the breezes. . . make dappled shadows of leaves on her brow. A. de Vigny). From the poem “La Dryade” (The Dryad, 1815) by Alfred de Vigny (French, 1797‒1863). The dryad, in ancient Greek literature, is a tree nymph. The full quotation is: “Le soleil et les vents, dans ces bocages sombres, Des feuilles sur son front faisaient flotter les ombres.” (The sun and the breezes, in these dark groves, make dappled shadows of leaves on her brow). The model for the woman’s head surrounded by foliage was a watercolor by Victor Prouve, indicating his collaboration with Galle on this vase, which was made for display at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris.
Department: 
Provenance: 
Taylor, Magda, Former Collection
Nagy, Klara Lukats, Source
1985-01-15
Houghton, Laura (Mrs. Amory), Source
1985-01-15
Houghton, The Honorable Amory (American, 1926-2020), Source
1985-01-15
Category: 
Material: 
Inscription: 
Le soleil et les vents. . . Des feuilles sur son front faisaient flotter les ombres. A. de Vigny.
inscription
French
Primary Description: 
Vase with the Head of a Woman Surrounded by Foliage. Colorless glass with brown overlay and scattered green flecks; blown, cased, cut, and engraved . Ovoid shape, flared rim, cameo carved with portrait of young woman amidst scattered foliage, inscribed above: "Le soleil et les vents.../Des feuilles sur son front/faisaient flotter les ombres/A. de Vigny"; inscribed on base: "Emile Galle/E. fect_/ Nancy (Cross of Lorraine) 1888 pour la Galerie d'honneur/ Exposition 1889"; also scratched numbers "2133" and "1225".
Emīru gare no garasu: ketteiban; エミール・ガレのガラス : 決定版 / 山根郁信編 (2019) illustrated, p. 65;
Art Nouveau (1999) illustrated, p. 24; BIB# 65135
Art Nouveau (1989) illustrated, p. 142; BIB# 24593
Recent Important Acquisitions, 28 (1986) illustrated, p. 113, #49; BIB# AI17497
The Corning Museum of Glass Annual Report 1985 (1986) illustrated, pp. 4, 11; BIB# AI96384
Nihon no kinko: tokubetsuten (1983) illustrated, p. 41; BIB# 31304