Ornamental plate - with mermaid

René Jules Lalique (1860–1945) was an extremely versatile goldsmith, jewelry and glass designer who studied in Paris and then London. His works, which are sometimes astonishing and based on imaginative material association, testify to the knowledge of Japanese art. Lalique’s works were more widely known to the public at the 1900 Paris World's Fair, where he was immediately awarded a Grand Prix. His attention later gradually turned to the diversified fields of glass design, in 1918, he founded his glass factory in Wingen-sur-Moder (Alsace), which still operates today, where he used etched and opalescent glass. The ornamental plate, which suggests the elegance of art deco, and decorated with the shape of a mermaid, imitating opal stone in its material was made Wingen-sur-Moder too. The silhouette of the graceful female figure, which stands out from the foams, is emphasized by the decoration, which evokes water bubbles.