A 'Grenouille et Nénuphars' Bottle and Stopper, 1900

This flacon and stopper bears the date 1900, confirming that the model was shown at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris. The subject of shells returns to a theme that so fascinated Gallé, as, of course, does the substance of the glass itself, a fluid mingling of aquatic blues and greens, hinting at fronds or pond life, evocative rather than specifically descriptive of the mysteries of the depths. The carved applied shells and the remarkable stopper, modeled as a lilypad and bud are, meanwhile, more faithful renderings of these specimens, scientifically precise but without sacrificing their poetic and symbolist potential.