Daum Studio, Exceptional Creations in Crystal
Daum is the only commercial crystal manufacturer employing the pâte de verre (glass paste) process for art glass and crystal sculptures, a technique in which crushed glass is packed into a refractory mould and then fused in a kiln. Share
The Daum family worked at the beginning of Art Nouveau and creators of one of France’s greatest glassworks. Established at the end of the 19th century, Daum’s renown was originally linked to the Ecole de Nancy and the art of pâte-de-cristal, a major contributing factor in terms of its worldwide reputation.
During the Universal Exhibition of 1900 Daum was awarded a ‘Grand Prix’ medal. Daum glass became more elaborate, acid etching (by Jacques Gruber) was often combined with carving, enamelling and engraving on a single piece of glass to produce creative glass master-pieces.
The most complicated creations also feature applied glass elements, such as handles and ornamental motifs in naturalistic forms. The Daum brothers quickly moved on to become one of the major forces in the Art Nouveau movement, seriously rivalling Gallé, so much so that when Émile Gallé died in 1904 they became the leaders in the field of decorative glass.
In 1906 Daum revived pâte de verre (glass paste), an ancient Egyptian method of glass casting, developing the method so that by the 1930s Daum’s window panels used pâte de verre for richness instead of leaded or painted glass. Today Daum still used this method to produce their pieces.
From the School of Nancy, Art Nouveau to Decorative Arts, Majorelle to Dali, Arman and Hilton McConnico, Daum has not missed any magic rendezvous of artistic creation and modern know-how, fusing together renewed art and craftsmanship. Few brands have worked with this plethora of artists where in almost 140 years, more than 350 exceptional artisans contributed to an incomparable heritage and a unique collection of its kind.
