Daum Nancy Styles & Techniques
This is a very brief introduction into the different types of art glass produced by Daum Nancy. The style/type of glass is very important when it comes to determining values. There is a definite hierarchy in terms of what is considered rare and desirable and what is considered common and difficult to sell. We are just looking at glass made prior to 1940. So we are not including clear crystal or modern colored sculptures.
Padded and Wheel Carved
All things equal, padded and wheel carved vases are some of the rarest and most valuable vases made by Daum Nancy. These vases virtually always have a flower. The first couple that come to mind are the white snow drop flowers pictured to the right. Pink roses were also a favorite. These are easy to spot because the flower petals have a lot of depth to them. The glass is heavy and uneven at spots.
In terms of value, the best padded and wheel carved vases are going to approach the five figure mark. Smaller pieces can be bought for as little as $2,000. These vases required a lot of skill to originally make. They were produced far less frequently than other types of Daum Nancy glass.
Acid Etched and Enameled
The majority of “good” vases that you see on the market today are what is called acid-etched and enameled. Wax was applied to vase to form a design. The vase, with the wax still on it, was dipped in acid and the acid would cut away a design wherever the wax was not present. Decorators would then manually use enamel paint to add colors to the protected areas of the vase that were not cut away.
There is a very wide range of vases that were executed using this technique. Some vases could be worth as little as $1,000. Others could be worth more than $10,000. The style isn’t as important as the size and pattern. Some of the most popular Daum Nancy vases like the rain, prairie, and seasonal scenes are all just acid etched and enameled.
Cameo Vases
Daum Nancy produced thousands upon thousands of generic cameo vases. Your typical Daum cameo vase has a background with a mottled color (usually reds, oranges, and yellows). The raised foreground is typically just a single dark color like brown or black.
We are showing a cameo vase with a lake and tree scene. This vase is perfectly acceptable, but it is not something that a lifelong collector is going to get excited about. A small cameo vase is usually worth around $500. The best of the best cameo vases can sell for as much as $3,000. However, the majority of cameo vases trade for right around $1,000.
Martele Vases
The word martele roughly translates to English as hammered. And if you look at a Daum Nancy martele vase you will see that it looks like someone has hammered little chips out of it. Martele vases have actually had hundreds of small pieces of glass cut out of them to give them that hammered look. The style is most easily seen my looking at the dark areas of the vase where the light reflects out of the small indented areas of glass.
Most Daum Nancy martele vases will look similar to the vase we have pictured. The average height it about five to eight inches. Anything over ten inches would be considered rare. I don’t think I have ever seen a martele vase that didn’t have some type of floral design. Prices generally range from about $1,500 to $5,000 per piece.
Art Deco
While I personally don’t deal with much art deco glass by Daum Nancy, some pieces are valuable and worth discussing. Your typical Daum Nancy art deco vase is going to be a single color. It will have deep etching and frosting that forms some type of geometric stylized design. The colors I am most used to seeing are oranges, blues, light greens, ambers, and clear glass.
I won’t touch too much on values, but there is definitely a market for art deco Daum. You aren’t going to see something approach $10,000, but the best of the best can still be worth a couple thousand dollars. I have seen lots of reproduced Daum deco, so be aware of that if you are considering a purchase.
Plain Vases
I am really only including these for the sake of completeness. I personally have never liked these vases, and that seems to be the opinion held by most true Daum Nancy collectors. Simply put, in my opinion, the only thing noteworthy about these vases is that they are marked as Daum Nancy. Otherwise, they are completely forgettable and uninspiring. I see a lot of these in a blue color. You will occasionally see a flake of foil or other color. Don’t let that fool you, these are very difficult to sell and there is virtually no demand for them. If you can find a buyer, don’t expect to get more than $200-$300.
In Conclusion
That is a short summary of the types of art glass made by Daum Nancy. You could very easily have something that doesn’t, at a glance, fit directly into one category. Your vase isn’t necessarily extremely rare or a fake just because it doesn’t match. Please give me a chance to view your vase and I can help your further identify and value it. Just email me:
