Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.14226

ESCALIER DE CRISTAL, François-Eugène ROUSSEAU & Ernest LÉVEILLÉ, Japanese-style polychrome glass vase with a gilt bronze dragon mount

A Japanese-style glass vase attributed to François-Eugène Rousseau and Ernest Léveillé, produced by the Parisian firm Escalier de Cristal, bearing the original label "Escalier de Cristal, Pannier-Lahoche & Cie, 6 rue Scribe & rue Auber, 1 (near the Opéra)," preserved beneath the base. Spherical in shape, the translucent glass body displays crackle effects and polychrome internal coloring in black, turquoise, red, and yellow, enhanced with gilt flakes. The layers of these flakes, left by chance during the fusing process, evoke hard stones such as agate or jasper. Its neck, treated as a raised rim and set at an oblique angle, accentuates the deliberate irregularity of the silhouette, in the spirit of the Japanese ceramics that inspired this style. The vase is mounted on a baluster-shaped pedestal with canted sides, terminating in an octagonal base, also decorated internally. The mount, depicting a finely chased gilt-bronze winged dragon with an open mouth and undulating tail, clings to the neck of the vase, in keeping with the style of the house's Japonisme productions. Initially a merchant specializing in porcelain and earthenware, Eugène Rousseau turned his attention to glass in 1867 and marketed a range decorated with motifs inspired by Japanese iconography. Ernest Léveillé, his pupil from 1877, continued his work after acquiring the stock of his workshop on Rue Coquillière in 1885. Crackle-glazed glass with internal coloring and gold leaf imitating precious stones is among the most distinctive creations of this duo, who triumphed at the Universal Expositions alongside Gallé. L'Escalier de Cristal, founded in 1804 by Marie Désarnaud and renowned since the Restoration period for its objects combining crystal and gilt bronze, added Japonisme-style mounts in chased bronze to these pieces and actively participated in the dissemination of Japonisme under the impetus of Henry Pannier. The label bearing the name Pannier-Lahoche & Cie and the address on rue Scribe allow us to date the production of this vase between the opening of the shop near the Opéra and the takeover of the business by the Pannier brothers in 1890.