Rare Vintage Signed (Acid Etched) Heavy (600g) Collectible Handcrafted French Vannes Le Châtel 5/13cm Art Glass Crystal Duck Paperweight / Pin Dish. Absolutely superb heavy handcrafted, mould-blown, furnace-worked and polished teddy bear figure. Please browse all 12 photographs for size, weight and condition as they are self explanatory. Vannes is a walled town in the Brittany region of northwest France. Its old town is characterized by narrow cobbled streets and medieval gates. At its heart, Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Vannes blends Romanesque and Gothic styles, while Place des Lices square is lined with colorful half-timber houses. The harbor, to the south, features restaurants and boats that cruise the Gulf of Morbihan. Vannes Le Châtel glassworks was founded in 1765 in the Lorraine department of France, like many other glassworks across Europe the site was chosen due to it’s proximity to a large source of wood, the main fuel used in glass furnaces during this period. Several owners later and after a lot of expansion, notably between 1900 and 1950, Vannes Le Châtel was one of the most important producers of glass in France. In 1960 Vannes merged with Bayel, Portieux, Vallerysthal and Fains to form the Compagnie Française du Cristal. Starting out by producing tableware Vannes moved into decorative glass in the 1930′s before they began the production of glass (lead) crystal from 1963. Apart from signed Art Vannes France they also used the names Cristal de Sévres and Daum. To add to the confusion many pieces were not signed or acid marked but were simply given paper stickers. This has led to certain pieces which have been attributed to Daum, Sévres, Vannes, Bayel, each with varying different values given depending on signature or indeed absence of signature. An otherwise identical piece signed Daum is worth perhaps twice the value of an unsigned piece despite the fact they have been produced at the same factory using the same moulds and equipment! The factory continues to produce some decorative pieces today under the Daum name but production is a small fraction of the 2 million pieces that were produced during the 1960′s and 1970′s. As stated the origin of ART Vannes was in the village of Vannes-le-Chantel located in the eastern region of France (precisely, Lorraine County). History traces its roots to about 1765 under aristocratic patronage. Fast forward to 1960, where over 600 glassmakers resided in the region, whose production included lead-based artistic pieces formed in moulds bought from defunct makers. Today, Europe’s largest glassmaking school (CERFAV) is located in the region. Additionally, several French crystal companies (Baccarat, Daum, and Portieux) are located in the area. It was in about 1970 that ART Vannes discontinued production, and Cristal de Sevres was born. Later, they produced under the brand of Daum. Most popular are a large range of mould-blown, furnace-worked, and polished animal figures. While they vary somewhat in size, typical figures are approximately 5 to 7 inches long by 3 to 5 inches in height. They are substantially heavy in weight, and very pleasing to the eye. Moulded baskets, dishes, and bowls are even larger. Each piece is etched on the underside of its base with a dashed square. The square is situated with its corners in the “north, east, south, west” positions. Inside the square is etched ART Vannes FRANCE. Baskets, dishes, and bowls are highly Collectable. Because the ART Vannes FRANCE furnaces were in operation only from 1950 to 1970, these gorgeous pieces are considered quite a special find and highly collectible. The item “Signed Vintage Handcrafted Vannes Le Châtel Art Glass Crystal Duck Paperweight” is in sale since Saturday, February 16, 2019. This item is in the category “Pottery, Porcelain & Glass\Glass\Paperweights”. The seller is “santoor-uk” and is located in Salford, Greater Manchester. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Colour: Clear
- Style: Retro
- Original/Reproduction: Vintage Original
- Type of Glass: Art Glass
- Country of Origin: France
- Glassware Type: Paperweights
- MPN: Does Not Apply
- Glassmaking Technique: Hand Blown Glass
- Maker: Art Vannes Le Chatel
