Daum (studio) facts for kids
Daum is a famous company in Nancy, France, that makes amazing glass art. It was started in 1878 by Jean Daum. Later, his sons, Auguste Daum and Antonin Daum, helped the company grow a lot, especially during the time of a popular art style called Art Nouveau. Daum is special because it's one of the few companies that uses an old method called pâte de verre (say: "pat duh vair"). This means they crush glass into a paste, put it into a mold, and then heat it in a special oven to create unique art pieces and sculptures.
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The Story of Daum
The Daum family became very important in the world of glass art during the Art Nouveau period. This art style, popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, used lots of natural shapes like flowers and flowing lines. Daum's beautiful glass creations quickly became famous around the world.
At a huge event called the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900, Daum won a special award called a 'Grand Prix'. Their glass art became even more detailed and fancy. They used different ways to decorate the glass, like acid etching (using acid to create patterns), enamelling (adding colorful glass powders), and engraving (carving designs). Sometimes, they even added extra glass parts, like handles or decorations shaped like plants, to their most amazing pieces. The Daum brothers became leaders in the Art Nouveau movement, even competing with another famous artist named Émile Gallé. When Gallé passed away in 1904, Daum became the top name in decorative glass.
In 1906, Daum brought back the ancient Egyptian method of pâte de verre (glass paste). They made this technique even better, so by the 1930s, they were using it to make colorful window panels. Today, Daum still uses this special method to create all their beautiful art pieces.
Where Daum Is Made
Daum has always had a strong connection to the city of Nancy in France. Their main workshops are right in the center of Nancy and in a nearby village called Vannes-le-Châtel. All of Daum's pieces are still made by hand by many skilled workers in this area.
You can find Daum stores in special places like Place Stanislas in Nancy and Park Avenue in New York City.
Daum in Museums
If you want to see many Daum glass art pieces, you can visit the Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy (Nancy Musée des Beaux-Arts). They have over 600 items in their Daum Collection, showing the history of how this amazing glass is made.
Daum has also had special art shows with famous artists. For example, there was an exhibition in Paris from 2015 to 2016 that showed the work Daum did with the famous painter Salvador Dalí. This show also featured pieces made with other artists like Richard Texier, Arman, and César.
Artists Who Worked with Daum
Over the years, many talented artists and designers have worked with Daum to create new collections. Some of these famous names include:
- Arman
- Hilton McConnico
- Philippe Starck
- Salvador Dalí
- Cyril Phan, also known as Kongo
- Richard Texier
- Emilio Robba
- Philippe Druillet
- Henri Bergé
A Special Daum Vase on TV
In 2017, a unique Daum Nancy glass vase was shown on the popular TV show Antiques Roadshow. This vase, made around 1900, had a special look called the "Egyptian Revival" style, which means it was inspired by ancient Egyptian art.
An expert named Alan Kaplan looked at the vase and talked about its amazing craftsmanship and how it showed the Egyptian Revival style. This style became popular when people discovered many ancient Egyptian treasures. The expert said the vase was worth about $15,000! This shows how valuable and important these old Daum pieces are in the world of art and collectibles.
