During the 1880s and 1890s, Désiré Christian worked closely with Emile Gallé. He designed exclusively for the French master until 1895, when he began also to design for Vallérysthal. Alsace-Lorraine (also known as Elsass-Lothringen) is a region in France that borders on Germany. It was ceded by France to Germany at the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, and it was returned to France in 1919, after World War I. The region was again annexed by Germany in 1940, during World War II, and it was again returned to France in 1945.
Physical DescriptionColorless with transparent ruby striations, bluish silver oxide, transparent greenish-amber (possibly a stain) and yellow-green, metallic gold; glass gold leaf; mold-blown, cased, hot-applied decorative elements, cut, enameled, and gilded. Tall gourd-shaped bottle with leaf and vine decoration, heavily striated with red ruby and parallel twisted gold leaf striping that extends from opening over the body, overall irregular sections of bluish coloration from silver oxide, neck and part of body have scattered background decoration of short jagged engraved lines that suggest lettering and small squares; thick, lipless, scalloped rim with worn gilding on top surface, elongated neck has faint optic molding, neck tapers in slightly from opening then widens towards body, at mid-point it becomes slightly waisted by two narrow horizontal ring impressions, just above the impressions a blob (light yellow-green with metallic gold) has been applied to one side of the neck and pulled in a narrow undulating raised line until it ends with a pointed curved on the shoulder and continues as part of the engraved relief decoration in leaf (three pointed lobes with serrated edges), vine, and tendril motif that extends from lower half of neck over top half of the body; body widens abruptly into a slightly flattened sphere with continuation and expansion of the red and gold ribbed decoration, low relief foliage decoration curves almost completely around the circumference of the upper body, the design now includes a large golden flower blossom, flower buds, and two butterflies with bronze-colored wings against patches of latticework; lower half of body largely colored with red and patches of gold; low circular foot, flatteed base, ground and polished pontil; engraved on polished pontil and filled with gold: "Vallerysthal". Provenance
