Lalique's cire perdue works are rare, the majority of objects were one-offs and no other version was conceived. Their special qualities appeal to a connoisseur market.
Cire perdue (or lost wax as it is sometimes known) is an ancient technique more commonly used for casting bronzes, but one which can readily be adapted for the making of glass. The process of cire perdue involves the artist creating a model in wax, that is then covered in plaster. After this, it is heated so that the wax can then be poured off and replaced by molten glass. For vases the glass was blown into the moulds using compressed gas, while for figures and plaques it would have been poured in. Once cooled, the mould is removed.
Cire perdue works are characterised by an absence of mould lines and are unpolished. The glass therefore appears more opaque, or frosted, and matt. The surface is slightly irregular and textured with some pitting and cooling lines. The works are distinctive because they retain more detail and often feature fingerprints that provide a sense of intimacy with the maker. Sometimes a coloured patinas is applied to highlight details, but these may also be done later too if it was deemed necessary to enhance the piece.
René Lalique began experimenting with cire perdue for glass from the 1890s onwards which was early in his glass-making career. He had worked in bronze and may well have learned the process when he was a student at the Ecole Bernard Palissy, or when he married into the Ledru family, who were famed for their casting and bronze making.
