This is a fine vintage glass hanging light shade or shallow glass plafonnier made of moulded white opalescent glass.
It has a moulded signature: and is signed P.D. Avesn France (as photographed). It probably dates to the mid-1920s or 1930s.
HISTORY: Pierre d’Avesn (1901-1984) was a former Student and Designer for Rene Lalique, and he helped to shape the development of Art Deco glass design in France. He received his early artistic training at the prestigious Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in France. He was only 14 when he started to work at the glassworks of Rene Lalique and it was here that he learned all about using sculpted glass. He stayed with Lalique for a decade designing some of their best-known pieces – however, Lalique did not allow designers to sign their own designs.
After working for Lalique, D’Avesn managed to persuade his future employers to let him sign his own work – so it can now often be difficult to tell which glass companies actually made these pieces signed D’Avesn.
In 1926 d'Avesn left Lalique and set up as an independent glass designer. He designed around 30 pieces in the four years that followed, contracting the production to the Cristallerie de Saint-Rémy. In 1930 he was employed by Daum to make moulded art glass under the name "Lorrain".
The depression years of the 1930s saw Daum cutting back its production and d'Avesn moved to Verlys. His career there was cut short by the outbreak of WWII and he went solo again. He carried on designing well into the 1950s and ‘60s, latterly for Vannes-le-Châtel.
My lovely shade is made of opalescent white coloured glass and was probably initially made in the glassworks as a shallow moulded bowl. It features a group of three exotic birds set against a busy Art Deco decoration representing raised angular leaves of a tree. The hooks on the glass were applied soon after it was made.
Dimensions: 12 inches in diameter (30.6 cm). It is 2 1/2 inches deep (6 cm).
Unpacked it is 2.1 kg in weight.
The chains are a generous length of 24 inches - which of course could be shortened. The metal chains and chrome ceiling hook fitment are NOT original to the shade but are more contemporary replacements. The button hook fittings present on the actual glass shade section are original to the plafonnier - and I have photographed them in close up
The shallow shade or plafonnier is in good antique condition with no chips or cracks. It will look fabulous in an Art Deco interior - in a hallway, bathroom or boudoir! It is also a nice large size - this has been taken into consideration with my pricing for this collectable piece of glass.
The bird design appears to be a rarer one and features three exotic Birds of Paradise / Golden Pheasants placed around the plate rim. Two of the birds have hoods made of little feathers - and all have long sweeping tails. I think the ones with fancy head feathers are males and both put on a show to attract the single female bird.
UK Posting Only. The postage will cost £10 with Parcelforce24 - and applied to your order at the checkout.