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Painting between layers – ‚Intercalaire’

Eugène Kremer from Meisenthal developed c. 1890 probably in collaboration with Emile Gallé a new kind of glass decoration. This technique of painting between layers had been patented in Berlin on 21. February 1896 and in Paris, almost a year later, on 23 March 1897. Shortly before 1900 the Daum brothers registered a similar kind of decoration that they had called ‚Décoration intercalaire’ resp. ‚Verreries de grand feu sous couverte’. Vases with this kind of decoration had a huge success at the Paris World Fair of the same year.
 

 

High-firing glazing had been used on ceramics for years, the only difficulty was most probably the transfer on the different material. Before putting enamel paint on the glass jar, it had to be totally cooled down. Then after putting the enamel on the jar, it was being repeatedly overlaid and re-heated. This recurrent heating and cooling-down of the glass body signified and extreme delicate manufacture. It is said that due to this complexity, the Daum brothers gave up to produce this kind of vases already around 1904.

 

This auction offers a series of vases by Burgun, Schverer & Co., and an ‚Intercalaire’ vase by Daum that make it possible for collectors to compare the different techniques and the results they got.

 

 

 

Cf. more recent books: Christophe Bardin, Daum Une industrie d’art lorraine, Metz 2004, S. 206-208
Exhibition cat. Meisenthal, Berceau du verre art nouveau, Meisenthal 1999 Ricke/ Schmitt, Glas des Art Nouveau,
Coll. Gerda Koepff, Munich 1998