Voor Val-saint-Lambert vervaardigde vaas, 1906-1907 / Vase réalisé pour le Val-Saint-Lambert, 1906-1907

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The Nancy School particularly illustrated itself through the use of the flower as an allegoric principle. The numerous productions of Val-Saint-Lambert attested to that and established the Nancy School’s international influence in Belgium.

Art Nouveau shapes were introduced by the Frenchman Léon Ledru, who was then at the head of the creative department. His action, supported by the breathtaking technical know-how of Val-Saint-Lambert’s craftsmen, gave artists, from Horta to van de Velde, and Wolfers to Serrurier-Bovy, the means to create original productions.

In 1905, Ledru hired two brothers, Henri et Désiré Muller, who had previously worked with Gallé. Active participants at Val until 1909, they developed a stylistic vein close to the Nancy School.

The clear or lined crystal pieces boasting geometric shapes typical of 19th century productions were replaced by a variety of colors, rendering the contrasted brightness of a fantastic bloom. The flower is the dominant symbol and gives birth to a permanent spring (from Michel Draguet, in '20 chefs-d'oeuvre de la collection Gillion Crowet', Brussels, 2006, p. 54)

English Translation by Marianne Reynolds (2010)