Vase with mayfly design

In this work Gallé's captures the brief, passionate flight of the mayfly, born only to die a few hours later. Shining in the light of the sun, the newborn mayfly flies with all its heart and soul. Layering slivers of glass overlaid with another type of glass, he developed a technique called intercalary decoration. Using this technique, Gallé was able to present a host of myflies floating inside the glass as well as carved on its surface, creating the atmospheric effect of standing beside a body of water. The impact of so capturing the workings of nature in a vessel whose sides are only one centimeter thick is stunning. The basic shape of the vase is simple, but the use of color and engraving produces a world of illusion.