Daum (studio) facts for kids
Daum is a famous crystal company from Nancy, France. It was started in 1878 by Jean Daum. His sons, Auguste and Antonin Daum, helped the company grow a lot during the exciting Art Nouveau period. Daum is special because it uses a unique method called pâte de verre (which means "glass paste"). This is an old way to make art glass and sculptures. It involves crushing glass, putting it into a special mold, and then heating it in a kiln until it melts together.
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The Story of Daum Glass
The Daum family began their work when the Art Nouveau art style was becoming very popular. They created one of France's most important glass workshops. Daum became well-known around the world because of its connection to the École de Nancy (Nancy School of Art) and its special pâte-de-cristal technique.
Awards and New Techniques
At the big Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900, Daum won a major award called the 'Grand Prix'. After this, Daum glass became even more detailed and beautiful. They often used a method called acid etching, along with carving, enameling, and engraving, all on one piece of glass. This helped them create amazing glass artworks. Some of their most complex pieces even had extra glass parts added on, like handles or decorations shaped like plants and flowers.
The Daum brothers quickly became very important in the Art Nouveau movement. They were serious rivals to another famous glass artist, Gallé. When Émile Gallé passed away in 1904, Daum became the top company for decorative glass.
Bringing Back an Ancient Method
In 1906, Daum brought back the ancient Egyptian method of pâte de verre (glass paste). They improved this technique so much that by the 1930s, Daum used pâte de verre for their window panels. This made the windows look rich and colorful, instead of using leaded or painted glass. Even today, Daum still uses this special method to make their beautiful glass pieces.
Where Daum Is Made
Daum has always had strong ties to the city of Nancy. Their main workshops are in downtown Nancy and a nearby village called Vannes-le-Châtel. Hundreds of skilled workers in the region still make all the Daum pieces by hand.
You can find Daum stores in famous places like Place Stanislas in Nancy and Park Avenue in New York City.
Daum in Museums
The Nancy Museum Collection
The Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy has a huge collection of over 600 Daum glass items. This collection shows the long history of how Daum glass has been made.
Special Art Exhibitions
From September 2015 to January 2016, there was a special show at the Espace Dali de Montmartre in Paris. This exhibition celebrated the partnership between the famous artist Salvador Dalí and Daum. It featured pieces Dalí created for Daum, as well as works by other artists who worked with Daum, like Richard Texier, Arman, César, Jérôme Mesnager, Carlos Mata, and Ben.
Artists Who Worked with Daum
Since the Art Nouveau period, Daum has teamed up with many artists and designers to create new and exciting collections. Some of these notable artists 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 Appraisal
In 2017, a unique Daum Nancy glass vase was featured on the popular TV show Antiques Roadshow. This vase was made around 1900 and showed the "Egyptian Revival" style. This style became popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, inspired by new discoveries from ancient Egypt.
The vase was looked at by Alan Kaplan, an expert in glass art. He pointed out the vase's amazing craftsmanship and how it perfectly showed the Egyptian Revival style. The appraisal valued the vase at about $15,000. This shows how much historical and artistic value these special pieces can have.
