LEGRAS Beautiful small spherical vase with a four-lobed neck

Magnificent spherical vase with a four-lobed neck, known as a "purse vase"
Featuring an enameled decoration of a winter landscape on an orange background
Signed "Legras" in the snow
Circa 1900
Height: 10 cm
 
François Théodore Legras (1839–1916) was a world-renowned French master glassmaker and a pioneer of Art Nouveau, 
famous for his pâte de verre vases and his designs inspired by nature and lakeside landscapes.
His childhood, spent in a tiny hamlet surrounded by nature in the Darney Forest,
likely left a lasting impression on him and would become a source of inspiration for his creations centered on flora and fauna
and, above all, on the forest and lakeside landscapes that dot the Ourche Valley.
At the age of 20, he began working as an apprentice in glassworks near his native hamlet. It was there that he learned his craft.
At age 24, he left his native Vosges to work at the glassworks in La Plaine Saint-Denis, a neighborhood of the city of Saint-Denis near Paris, where he was hired as an apprentice.
Six months later, he became production manager, and in 1866, at the age of 27, he became director of the glassworks.
He then had a new, modern factory built, along with a workers’ housing complex, which over the years grew into an industrial complex spanning nearly 20,000 square meters.
He became chairman and CEO of Legras et Cie, and later of the Verrerie et Cristallerie de Saint-Denis.
He participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, where he was frequently awarded prizes.
He was also in charge of the glass and crystal section at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris.
In 1909, he handed over management of his company to his nephew, Charles Legras.
Beginning in 1914, the style of production shifted to reflect Art Deco influences, with a return to simple lines and a certain restraint.
Legras continued production until 1928.

François-Théodore Legras remains today a symbol of French glassmaking and innovation in Art Nouveau and pre-Art Deco, 
with pieces collected all over the world.

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