RENE LALIQUE

RENE LALIQUE
Mascots (Bouchons De Radiateur)
Greyhound
mascots that were commercially available for
automobiles and two special designs,
Greyhound (Levrier), for English Kings Edward
VIII and George VI.
Originally many of the mascot figures
produced by Lalique were created as
paperweights (presse-papier) and several of
these designs were translated into the hood
ornaments. Ultimately Lalique produced 29
1
Mascots (Bouchons De Radiateur)
Fox
Beginning with Rene Lalique’s first mascot, Five
Horses (Cinq Chevaux) for the Citroen 5CV, the
appeal for this adornment was immediate.
During the six years of their production Lalique
experimented with many of his favorite themes
of animals, nature, the sensuous nude, etc. The
most emblematic of the interwar, Art Deco,
period was the Spirit of the Wind (Vitesse), while
the rarest was the Fox (Renard). Aside from
Cinq Chevaux, Lalique only duplicated a
subject matter with renditions of horses, with
the creation of three works that referenced
horse racing, Longchamps, single mane,
Longchamps, double mane, and Epsom
depicting a racehorse training at the post. The
Eagle (Tete Daigle), still in production as a
paperweight, gained notoriety in the 1930’s as
a favorite of Adolf Hitler who presented them
to his senior staff.
2
Rene Lalique (1860–1945)
René Lalique, considered to be one of the
finest jewelers and glass designers of the Art
Nouveau movement (1880–1914), was born in
the Champagne region of France. At sixteen
he apprenticed to the renowned jeweler Louis
Aucou and completed his education in
England in 1880.
By the age of twenty-one he had established
himself as a jeweler with an eccentric and
unique vision, attracting well-heeled clients
(including the most famous actress of the day,
Sarah Bernhardt) who sought out his sensual
and nature-influenced forms.
After the turn of the century, Lalique’s work with
decorative glass became his primary
interest. In 1906 Vincenzo Florio commissioned
Lalique to create a glass sculpture award for
the famed Targa Florio endurance race, and
thus began Lalique’s fascination with the
automobile as the symbol of the new age.
Falcon
3
Rene Lalique (1860–1945)
are the three pertaining to horse racing all of
which are features in the Mullin Collection. His
factory designed in total 31 unique forms, (29
of which were commercially produced) whose
shapes ranged from nudes, to animals and
symbolic images. Lalique, always the
innovator, fashioned his mascots with a light
source from below and added color filters to
his molded, etched pieces (all of which were
signed R. Lalique).
The Lalique factory was closed during World
War II and was re-opened after Rene’s death in
1945 by his son Marc. Lalique’s granddaughter
Marie-Claude Lalique Dedouvre continued the
family involvement until 1994 when she sold her
interest to Zurich based Art & Fragance
Company in 2008. Today the Swiss owned
factory continues Rene Lalique’s tradition of
producing the highest quality glassware as well
as other luxury goods. There are currently six
mascots in production.
Cinq Chevaux
Lalique created his first mascot (bouchon de
radiateurs) for French carmaker Andre
Citroen’s firm’s 5CV, a sculpture of Five Horses.
The only mascot subject produced with
multiple images of horses, aside from the 5CV,
4
Lalique: From passion to business
Lalique’s mascots were conceived as a
substitute to the more pedestrian thermometer
dial and radiator caps that had originally been
found on automobile hoods. They were among
the first “after-market” accessories available to
automobile owners.
Lalique partnered with the Breves Gallery in
London to concoct a special attachment
system that would attach the mascots to a
variety of automobiles. After numerous
permutations, and many damaged mascots,
the team ultimately produced ten different
styles that allowed the mascots to fit different
hood configurations. Many of the mascots
were mounted by means of a specially made
rubber washer that mitigated the negative
effects of vibration and engine heat.
Spirit of Wind Alt
Beginning with Rene Lalique’s first mascot, Five
Horses (Cinq Chevaux) for the Citroen 5CV, the
appeal for this adornment was immediate.
During the six years of their production Lalique
experimented with many of his favorite themes
of animals, nature, the sensuous nude, etc. The
most emblematic of the interwar, Art Deco,
period was the Spirit of the Wind (Vitesse), while
the rarest was the Fox (Renard). Aside from
Lalique also devised a 12-volt light bulb (wired
into the side of the mount), which was seated
directly below the mascot for evening
illumination (some glowed brighter as the car
accelerated) along with colored filters.
5