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Daum

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. 

Average Sold Price
$2,065
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Large French Clear Crystal Vase by Daum
By Verlys Glass, Baccarat, Daum, Cristalleries De Baccarat
Located in Houston, TX
Stunning large French clear crystal vase by Daum, circa 1945-1950. Our large-scale shimmering crystal wide mouthed vase tapers to the base with an acid etched signature "Daum France" This gorgeous Daum crystal vase...
Category

1940s French Hollywood Regency Vintage Daum

Materials

Crystal

Daum # Nancy and Majorelle, Pine Cone Etched Glass Suspension, Art Nouveau 1900
By Daum, Louis Majorelle
Located in PARIS, FR
Beautiful and large pine cone etched glass suspension by the Daum # Nancy manufacture in collaboration with Louis Majorelle for the iron works. France early 1900s. In good condition...
Category

Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Daum

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Handblown Glass Table Lamp Signed Daum
By Daum
Located in New York, NY
This stunning Mid-Century Modern brutalist table lamp was hand blown by the storied atelier of Daum in Nancy, France circa 1970. It features a sculptural body with incised forms deep...
Category

1970s French Brutalist Vintage Daum

Materials

Blown Glass

Daum Pate de Verre Vase Bearded Irises
By Daum
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
When Jean Daum assumed control of the Verrerie Sainte-Catherine, after the previous owners defaulted on their loans, he could not have imagined that well over one hundred years later people would express such a passion for antique Daum art glass...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Daum

Materials

Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass

Cesar Badaccini Argos Daum Crystal 1970 French Bowl Ashtray
By Daum, César Baldaccini
Located in New York, NY
A rare French brutalist crystal bowl in blue green /turquoise coloring designed be famed French artist, Cesar Baldaccini for Daum. Biography: César was a French sculptor and member ...
Category

1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Daum

Materials

Crystal

Early 20th Century Etched and Enameled Art Deco Lamp by Daum Frères
By Daum
Located in London, GB
An attarctive early 20th Century Art Deco cameo glass lamp etched with a striking Art Deco design and cased in a deep purple colour, exhibiting excellent colour and detail. Signed Da...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Deco Daum

Materials

Brass

Daum Nancy France Acid Etched Vase ca. 1925
By Daum
Located in Geneva, CH
Superbe acid-etched glass vase by Daum Nancy, France ca. 1925, signed DAUM NANCY FRANCE Very good condition
Category

1920s French Vintage Daum

Materials

Art Glass

Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Glass Vase entitled “Daturas Vase” by Daum Frères
By Daum
Located in London, GB
A magnificent early 20th Century Art Nouveau cameo glass vase etched and enamelled with flowering Datura in a vibrant landscape. The design heightened with gilded design on the surfa...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Daum

Materials

Glass

Browse all Furniture from Daum
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Creators Similar to Daum

Daum furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Daum furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Daum furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Daum were created in the Art Nouveau style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by René Lalique, Emile Gallé, and Lalique. Prices for Daum furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $275 and can go as high as $160,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,788.
Questions About Daum
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Yes, Daum glass is normally signed. The location of the company's mark varies, but it usually says "Daum Nancy" above, below or beside the cross of Lorraine, a cross with two crossbars. Find a variety of Daum glass on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    How Daum glass is made involves a process unique to the manufacturer, called pâte de verre. It involves filling a refractory mold with finely crushed glass and then baking the piece in a kiln. Shop a collection of Daum glassware on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Yes, all Daum vases are signed. Authentic Daum glass work will have the signature “Daum Nancy” and incorporate the cross of Lorraine. Looking for a signature is one of the best ways to ensure authenticity. Browse a range of authentic Daum vases and other glassware on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024
    Yes, Daum crystal is typically marked. The French maker usually adds the word "Daum Nancy" and its logo, a double cross called the Cross of Lorraine, to its pieces. You can locate the mark in a discreet area, such as on the bottom of stemware and decorative objects. Find a selection of Daum Nancy crystal wares on 1stDibs.

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