A website dedicated to one man's work.. why?, well read on and you will discover why.
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René Jules Lalique (1860 - 1945) had the great idea of producing car mascots from his statuettes or paperweights during the 1920's. After a meeting with André-Gustave Citroën in 1925 he was commissioned by him to produce the first official car mascot of the well-known five prancing horses for the Citroën 5CV, the rest as they say is history!
We apologise in that the photos are not in any particular order, as this is down to the process of up-loading and is out of our hands because of technical reasons and one of a few (minor) mistakes highlighted is that Longchamp 'A' photo 11 & Longchamp 'B' photo 26 need to be transposed. 
We felt that being in the automotive business for a number of years now, that collector's have a great deal of knowledge on car badges and mascots in general, however very little is known about the 'wonderful world' of Lalique, the man and his work which not only includes car mascots but a whole range of fashion accessories, jewellery, vases, tableware, boutique items etc.
Collector's are a curious breed and we felt it was about time to give them a 'club' or 'focal point' to see the full range of car mascots that the Lalique artists produced between the wars and into the post war period and up to this day....a prolific range indeed as you will see when you flick-thru the photos!
Please enjoy this website. We have made every effort to get our facts right, however if you do have any comments please get in touch as your input is very important. We will also be happy to give our opinion and appraisal on any Lalique car mascot that you have or are thinking of acquiring, that is where the 'link' website may help you. There is a 'word of warning' in the growing number of reproductions (to put it politely) or 'fakes' to give them their real name. As always when a collector's item becomes a thing of desire and therefore has a considerable financial value, so 'buyer beware'. Please be very careful in the examination of a piece to ensure that it is free from 'chips', this affects the value greatly.,however not it seems in the case of the Comete mascot that although quite badly damaged, still fetched a staggering price at a UK auction. Ref: Bonhams auction at The Goodwood Revival meeting on 31/8/2007 fetching £41,992. The next one to come onto the market was sold by Christies in London on 9/12/2010 for £60,748.75 and another on 22/5/13 for £79,875. Another at Artcurial in Paris for E53,553 and yet another at Bonhams USA on 16/8/13 for $120,000 (prices quoted here include commissions & other fees). These are exceedingly rare pieces that hardly come onto the market so it is very difficult to gauge their value as this is determined by factors as the number of collector's & investors who will fight it out in the auction room, on the phone or on the internet to acquire exceptional pieces such as these.
Also we liked the one captioned "Little owl gives a big hoot in central Florida pre-Thanksgiving sale"...In 2007 this owl made the staggering price of $47,300!(US) as it came from a prominent collection, which enhances the value of such pieces, again another came up at Artcurial on 20/10/13 and made the hammer price of E87,000 (Euros). The Vitesse (speed nymph) in opalescent milky blue, despite being chipped & cracked attracted great interest from British as well as overseas bidders, who fought it out fiercely at a provincial auction in Nottingham during the heat of August 2009 making about £15,000! A perfect example making over £25,000 at Bonhams Goodwood auction, June 2012. A rare Renard/Fox mascot although not signed with some old grinding & repairs, still made $204,750! on 26/11/11 in the USA, with phone, internet & battles in the room...Wow!
A 'complete' collection of all 30 pieces made $805,000 at RM's Amelia Island auction of 10/3/12.
Also of note was that a world record price was set by a Rolls-Royce commissioned car mascot from Lalique, mounted for presentation on an English silver hall marked base. This mascot was made for the 90th anniversary of RR and auctioned during their centenary year (1910-2010). 
Ref: The Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation and The Rolls-Royce Owners' Club at Le Montreux Palace Hotel, Switzerland, host sponsors Horus Sur Mesure and Bullionaer under the direction of Dr. Neugebauer with Geoffrey George Weiner as consultant on 13/2/2010
Note: We have all the details of these auctions and others if interested.
Now with the present 'credit crunch', if one has funds lying in a so called high interest account, then there is no better time to buy, invest in and enjoy! 
Lalique est dans le coeur des collectionneurs/Lalique is dear to the heart of all collectors, Lalique est dans l'avenir pour longtemps/Lalique will be part of the future for many years to come....
You will find the full listing of Lalique mascots including the date of introduction of each piece in the History section of this site.
(prices quoted here may not include commissions & other fees). 
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Please read the following top tips:
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Tip: All lalique car mascots & paperweights were produced from steel moulds from the original artisans 'master' piece and then hand finished. Run your fingers gently around and over the piece feeling for chips and knicks and looking for any other damage, bruising etc. Be careful to make sure any damage that has been done in the past has not been ground-out. For example the length of the hair of Victoire may be shortened due to damage in the past and hence ground down to take out damage or chips along the vulnerable pointed tip. The same can be said of Hirondelle, where the tips of the wings are very prone to damage. The Falcon is also prone to damage as if it falls over the first thing it will land on is its vulnerable beak, because due to its design it falls forward.
Natural air bubbles may form in the production of the piece and this is nothing to worry about and is quite acceptable to all but the most fastidious of collectors.
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Tip: If you ever encounter a piece which is coloured by tinting or fully 'deep coloured' (as in photo 50) all the way through the glass, be sure that this has been done in period at the factory and not by any modern methods afterwards (as in radiation treatment: see the case/law suit concerning Mansour Ojjeh in The Independent of 15th December 1998 of which we can e-mail to you). Genuine factory coloured period pieces are extremely rare & desirable. Some pieces have both strong and weak colouring, that is to say the same colour may vary in the manufacturing process to produce a piece that has a colour variation from light to dark colouring (as an example the Coq Nain when found as a coloured example, see photo 40). Also look for opalescent pieces, that is to say the glass is of an opaque or cloudy/milky blue appearance again produced by the very cleaver glass artisans at the factory (see photo 24). Also 'fume' being a reddish yellow colouring as in the Tete d'Epervier/Hawks head (see photo 2). These pieces are rare and therefore of greater value than a similar regular clear, frosted or satin finish (or combined) piece, (see photo 9). Do not confuse colour to just 'tinted' pieces, which are weaker in colour.,these are still just as highly sought by collectors (see photos 7 & 13). Expert advice needs to be taken here.
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Tip: Study! Get yourself to specialist dealers and auction houses, keep the catalogues for future reference and build up a good selection of books (there are plenty on the subject out there)...and keep studying! 
Do not enter into buying any piece before taking advise and studying the subject thoroughly! A reputable dealer will always give you a recipe for your purchase.
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Tip: Always demand a receipt of purchase and ask for any history of the piece in question. Modern Lalique pieces do not have the same depth or colour intensity of the inter-war items. A reputable dealer will always be pleased to give, help and advice.
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Tip: Look for yellowish age patination which may be found on unclean period pieces, see photo 37. Period pieces will have the 'R.Lalique' signature in varied forms either made by marker scribe (etched) in facsimile of Rene's signature or relief moulded (raised) into the glass or intaglio (impressed) in capital lettering 'R.LALIQUE FRANCE' or 'LALIQUE FRANCE', as in photo 33. In some examples they are both encountered and sometimes including the catalogue or code numbers on the base of the piece.
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Tip: Always carry a magnifying glass or loupe, as it is known in the trade. Some of the modern made pieces from Eastern Europe i.e. The Czech Republic are reproducing many popular pieces, you may encounter the famous Victoire known as The Spirit of The Wind, these are crude to say the least, however the novice collector may be taken in if it has a spurious Lalique signature added!
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Tip: Ask the vendor if this is a period piece or a modern day reproduction. Get the dealer to clearly state what the piece is on a receipt of purchase.
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Tip: Modern reproductions will have a greyish dull look to the glass and not be of fine 'light catching' crystal as genuine Lalique.,most are mounted onto black marble effect bases. 
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Tip: See if they show signs of being taken off a base and ground-down to get rid of the glue marks. We have seen the Eagle head replica with a spurious 'R.Lalique' signature engraved onto the base.
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Tip: A genuine mascot will show some signs of age wear especially upon the base where it has either been mounted with a ring collar or more likely scratches underneath the base caused by it being moved on different surfaces over the period of time. Look for old residue that may have built up in the crevices of the piece or natural age patination, that incidentally should be left alone. At the end of the day always seek professional advise.
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Tip: Lalique prior to the actual car mascot production, designed and produced paperweights as ornaments and later some of these were 'adapted' to take a specially designed chromed metal hollow base with a bulb with coloured filters to fit the piece (for example the mermaids Naiade and Siren for desk ornament display). Then later it was decided to seek an outside source to produce them for the radiator cap as 'car mascots'. 
Lalique commissioned the Breves Galleries in London's Knightsbridge to design and produce these metal bases specifically to hold the piece, they were made in various sizes according to the size of the base of the piece in question. They were illuminated by a small bulb contained inside with an electrical attachment and wired-up to the cars battery. Inside one could change coloured filters to reflect the light onto the piece. A very impressive sight at night! 
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Tip: Lalique commissioned the Breves Gallery as mentioned, to produce these mascot base holders exclusively for them, they will be stamped with the full address onto them. This company had the exclusive rights to market both Lalique mascots along with the base mounts from their Knightsbridge showroom. Modern reproductions are on the market, these may look brand new chromed steel, but could be 'aged', so beware! Also period/contemporary metal bases were produced by other manufactures. Lalique themselves also produced chromed metal base ring colours (see photo 46) for some of the mascots so that they could be display mounted onto glass, usually a black polished glass block, see photo 47), clear and also frosted glass, marble, wood or other types of bases. Some mascots/paperweights were and still are used as bookends using the above mentioned method of glass as a base.
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Tip: The Lalique factory used many types and styles of signatures throughout its production and this helps to date the item in question. Note that some just post-war pieces still had the 'R.Lalique' signature on them as with a lot of other Lalique wares.,this does affect the value as they would be very difficult to date exactly, however an expert would identify them by the quality of the crystal glass not being of the higher pre-war production. In general post-war pieces are marked 'Lalique France' in a script, used up until 1960. After 1960 a circled 'r' was placed in between for 'registered' (this is a small 'r' meaning the piece is registered or protected by world copyright, not to be confused by the capital 'R' for R.Lalique inter-war production). Inter-war signatures were mainly moulded in raised capital letters onto the piece along with script signatures inscribed by a special engraving tool or wheel cut, see below. Sometimes both methods were used on the same piece, also you may (rarely) encounter the catalogue number of the piece engraved onto the base post-production. Also in some cases (if you are fortunate) you may also find the retailers sticker on the base of the piece, for example we have encountered the Coq Nain with a good quality gilt-metal retailers label in a Paris antiques market, see photo 44.
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Tip: "As a rule"... Pre-1945* signatures were in block capitals intaglio/moulded as 'R.LALIQUE' in high case with FRANCE in a lower case alongside or 'FRANCE' in a lower case below. Also you may encounter both forms of signatures including 'France' engraved a la Pointe/etching tool or a La roue/wheel cut into the piece, in different places onto the piece itself (as in The Archer see photo 41). There is always an exception to a rule!, and in this case a prime example being The St.Christopher which was continued in production up until 1987 using the pre-war mould and therefore still carried the 'R' to the Lalique signature (see photo 33). Fortunately (for collector's) these post-war examples were produced in a noticeably thinner glass to the original pre-war pieces. 
Depending on the piece in question, some signatures were stenciled mark by sand-blasting. A good example of this is on Crysis, where the signature is on the underside of the base on both the car mascot (in the centre) and paperweight versions, in the case of the paperweight it is near the edge, however it is located on the top lip of the base on the extreemly rare opalescent version, having 'R.Lalique' with 'France' below.
After 1945 the same aplies, however the 'R' is omitted. From 1960 a flowing script signature 'Lalique France' which is engraved with a'la pointe/etching tool or a'La roue/wheel cut. From 1978 the signature now includes a circled small 'r' for 'registered' in between 'Lalique' and 'France' in various forms usually running around the plinth. From 1980 to date the same signature in a curved format in one line is used a'la Pointe de tungstene ou au diamant/done with tungsten or a diamond point etching tool. The only inter-war period piece to omit the 'R' is Tete de Coq, which has large block capitals intaglio moulded directly to the left (looking at it face on) under its chin (see photo 12). This piece was produced up untill the 1960's without any change, however post-war examples were produced in cristal/crystal rather than pure verre/glass. Post 1960's up untill its discontinuation it had the normal signature in script form.
A great deal of care and study of these various types of signatures needs to be undertaken before you go out and make a purchase! 
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*You may note that some moulded signatures may seem 'faint', this is nothing to worry about as this depends on the degree of success in the quality of the definition when the piece is cast as the signature is an integral part of the piece. Only the most fastidious of collectors would be concerned here.
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Tip: The club holds an archive of these signatures which can be scanned and e-mailed to you or photocopied and sent to you through the mail (for the small fee of £1 plus your s.a.e.). This should be carried with you when you are 'on the hunt' for pieces to check up on the approximate date of manufacture.
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Tip: Modern Lalique being of very fine high quality crystal is more 'whiter' than pieces from the inter-war period, again post-war to the 1950's through to the 1970's a similar high quality was kept-up.,on saying that they are still very fine and collectable items to invest and enjoy. Some that are now marketed as presse papier or paperweights were originaly intended as car mascots.,ie.The Eagles Head, the nude female Chrysis, Hirondelle (the swallow bird), the Peacock's head which is also marketed in vibrant colours (as were some of the original inter-war pieces). Also paperweights as Leda with the swan, Diane, The Faune and a second version of the Owl. Some were and still are produced and mounted onto highly polished black glass square or oblong bases as book ends and sold in pairs to face each other, which include the Eagles Head, Hirondelle and Falcon birds. 
The Lalique factory inform us that most of the original moulds have been "lost", some through war damage and some with the passing of time. 
However when they re-introduce new pieces now & again this prooves the point that they have re-discovered them! Also no one seems to know how many of each piece were made, however it is generaly known through the grapevine of collector's that the rarest piece is undoubtably Renard (The Fox) of which a unique prototype or test colour piece in recent years came up for auction in the USA. The Owl is also extreemly rare as are the Comet and the Frog. Others are also getting few & far between but do 'turn-up' occasionaly as Victoire & Vitesse** the very impressive nubile female nudes, the bird forms of the Guinea Fowl, the Hawks Head, the stunning Peacocks Head with piercing eyes and Coq Houdan the proud Art Deco styalised cock, the very impressive horse heads of Epsom & Longchamp'A'. All of which are scarce... When certain well known showbiss' personalities, rock & pop stars along with the new Oligarchs start bidding at auction you know you're in for trouble!
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**Not to be confused with the Cote d'Azure trophy, the female nude model commisioned by the Pullman Express Co.(The Compagnie des Wagon-Lits, along with much of the glass paneled interior decorations to the carriages of the Orient Express). Rene Lalique based this on a similar design as his Vitesse. This was not a car mascot in the true sence (look at the very long block base, see photo 52) but a presentation piece for V.I.P. personages who took part in the inaugural run of this special Orient Express train on 9th February 1929.,with this in raised lettering on the face of the base. More were produced (at the same time) without the inscription and it has been suggested that this version was meant to be a 'car mascot',... doubtfull!... 
My humble opinion is that a 'factory overun' was made and retailed for collector's to display as an ornament.
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Tip: "The Magnificent Seven" to look out for in order of rarity are: Renard, Hibou, Comete, Grenouille, Epsom, Longchamp'A' and Vitesse. 
Note: Although factory records are scant, it is known that Longchamp'A' was only made during the period from 12th June to 10th September 1929, meaning that very few were produced. In the case of Renard only a handfull are known to exsist, one of which was an extreemly rare factory coloured prototype that was offered at auction a few years ago.
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Note: Some are known as 'continuation pieces', that is to say that some original inter-war pieces have continued to be produced and have never been deleted, as in the case of the Eagles head and Chrysis., However in the case of Chrysis the groove to take the ring for mounting onto the Breves Gallery base for radiator top fitting has been removed to make a smooth plain base, and just to confuse things more, they were also produced (signed R.Lalique, in period) originaly as presse papier/paperweights without this groove (as well as the car mascot versions with the groove). This is not so with the Eagle or with the Peacock's head which are 'as originaly produced' with this groove still intact. The reason for this would proberbly relate to the fact that Chrysis has the thickest base which was easy to modify the mould, whereas the other two mentioned have much shallower bases and may be impossible to modify. In the case of Hirondelle (the swallow bird) which has continued to be produced post war to the present time (deleted Summer 2009).,It now carries a huge squared base which doubles as a bookend... so you're tempted to purchase a pair! (see photo 3)
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Tip: Start collecting sooner rather than later!
You could start with modern pieces which will come in the very nice grey box with a sponge insert to keep it safe & sound in transit along with a certificate of authenticity, see photos 27 & 45. As a rule now-days it seems that pieces change a lot, they introduce or re-introduce a previous model and market it for about two to five years then its gone! So, knowing this it's a good investment to buy what you like now, as stated sooner rather than later!
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Tip: Personaly I rather liked the Perch and wild Boer in various coloured tints, as yellow and grey respectivly, which were available as modern re-introductions up untill a few years ago when I first got interested, however I did not aquire them, I should have as they are now highly sought after, as little did I know that they would be discontinued shortly after my interest!....the moral of that story is to buy now (what you fancy) or regret it later!
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Tip: The Tete de Peon or Peacocks head is a very fine example of a recent re-introduction. I recommend this in the various coloured tints that have been brought out, although the clear with frosted finish may be more to other collector's taste. I suggest the very vivid cobalt blue piece is 'the one' to purchase right now for a certain future investment, see group photo 38. (This is the author's own personal opinion on collecting modern pieces).
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Stop Press: Lalique have re-introduced (Spring 2009) the Grand Libellule in both clear & frosted chrystal and what is marketed as 'Ocean Blue' tinted colour. The reccomended retail price of £795 & £895 respectivly, see photo 30 which is similar to this original R.Lalique period piece in clear & frosted crystal. Also Vitesse has been re-introduced (Winter 2009, see photo 24 to compare the original version) rrp of £695 and that Victoire was re-introduced in the Winter of 2010 now at the reccomended price of £795(see photo 28 which shows the original version).
Note: These do not have the groove in the base to mount onto a radiator cap ring and are marketed as presse papier/paperweight ornaments., unlike the re-introduced Tete d'Peon which does in fact still retain this groove (see photos 17 & 50)......more may be in the pipeline...we will keep you informed!
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Tip: Buy what you can afford whether it be the highly desirable inter-war years pieces or the post-war to modern ones, they are all fantastic works of the glass makers art and bring pleasure as well as a sure-fire investment!
Many tried to copy Lalique's work, firms as the French concerns as Sabino, Etling and the British H.G.Asher Company Ltd (trading as Red Ashay), along with the Warren Kessler Co., they are good...some very good...however they are not as unique as Lalique! An exception being the American company of Persons Majestic Manufacturing Co. of Worcester, Massachsetts who had a Czechoslovakian glass factory produce a few pieces directly copying Lalique's designs (during the inter-war years), namely the Victoire known in America as 'Seminole', Eagles head, Longchamp and Epsom (horses heads). They are all colour tinted in a greenish yellow and are clearly marked around the base with the company details. These are highly sought after collector's pieces now in their own right! 
Note: Fortunatly for the collector all of these have the makers particulars on them in raised moulded stamped lettering onto the upper rim of the base together with 'Made in Czecholslovakia'. We have visted some of the factory outlets in Prague, and report that modern makers sutch as the Desna concern (incorporating the old Red Ashay co.) are "not a patch" on the fine quality of Lalique!
Quote: "The designer Heinrich Hoffman along with his son-in-law, Henry Schlevogt designed many exquisite original pieces for the above mentioned companies. They were also not adverse to plagiarizing some of the finest designs of the leading exponant of the medium at the time, Rene Lalique. These models are represented and were offered in their collection and include Victoire, Longchamp and Epsom (made for Red Ashay), this 'Epsom' version is 2cm longer than Lalique's, with more of a wavy flowing mane".*** 
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Tip: On cleaning. We are often asked how to deal with dirt, marks etc. on pieces. The best way is to carfully emerse the piece in tepid distilled water (never hot and without detergents). However a few drops of methylated spirit brings back the sparkle and wash it using a cotton bud to clean out dirt that has got into the crevaces. Let it drain and dry naturally. For more stubborn marks it is best to seek proffesional advice on glass cleaning. Note: Unlike other antiques, including furniture, porcelane, paintings, watercolours & prints along with other collectables; glass does not generaly deteriate.
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Tip: When handling these delicate pieces always remember to have a cloth or soft surface below them for when you place them down.
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Where to see them...
Very few 'complete' collections exsist in the world, the best is in The Toyota Car Museum in Haknoe, Japan and also an 'almost' complete collection at The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu (see Friends of the NMM Newsletter No.103 Spring 2009 issue). A good collection is in the Schlumph Motor Museum in Molsheim and a selection can be seen at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and the Le Mans Museum in France. In America log-onto The National American Glass Club at: www.glassclub.org to see a wonderfull listing of glass related websites. Back here log-onto The National Association for Glass Enthusiasts at: www.glassassociation.org.uk and also The National Glass Collectors Fair at: www.glassfairs.co.uk
Lalique themselvs have opened a museum at their factory in Wingen-sur-Moder at: www.musee-lalique.com We visited in the Summer of 2011 and highly reccomend you do so as well! (see the full review in the guestbook). The Schulmpf museum also in the Alsace region have a few examples on display (some incorrectly labled when we were there in 2011).
Also local to us in the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery in the Royal Pavilion grounds, on display are examples of Grande Libellule and Perche along with other Lalique works of art. See our 'events' diary Note: If you know of other locations/exibitions please do inform the club.
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Reference books to read...
There are very many general books on Lalique, the most prestigious is that by Felix Marcilhac, the 'Catalogue Rasionne de L'Oeurve de Verre'(ISBN No. 2-85917-181-9) which covers nearly all of Lalique's work but only illustrated in black & white period photos. However we are only concerned here with his car mascots & paperweights and to this you are directed to:
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'Motoring Mascots of the World' by William C.Williams (ISBN No.1-55868-043-8) who not only covers each one in both French & English but illustrates all of them (in b&w) as well. If you were to purchase only one book, this is the one we highly reccomend.
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'Rene Lalique et Cie, Lalique Glass the Complete Illustrated Catalogue for 1932' (ISBN No.0-486-24122-X).This is the copy of the very rare original reprinted by The Corning Museum of Glass in 1981. This covers the full range of products with period b&w photos, French & English text.
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'The Art of Rene Lalique' by Patricia Bayer & Mark Waller (ISBN No.1-84573-093-3). A good general reference with much background history. Good covering of our subject with many fine quality photographs mainly from the Beaulieu Motor Museum Collection (also see the Newsletter of the Friends of the National Motor Museum Trust at Beaulieu, Spring 2009 issue No.103 Artical 'L For Lalique' by G.G.Weiner, pages 12 & 13).
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'Lalique' by Tony R.Mortimer (ISBN No.1-55521293-X). Good background coverage, the chapter on The Art Deco Years covers our subject quite well with some superb quality close up photographs.
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'Lalique Glass' by Nicholas Dawes (ISBN No.0-517-55835-1). Contains high definition photos and good descriptions. An excellent reference by the formost American expert on this subject 
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'Lalique for Collectors' by Katherine Morrison McClinton (ISBN No.0-7188-2240-4). Good general coverage including a lot of the mascots.
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'Warman's Lalique' by Mark F.Moran (ISBN No.0-87349-787-2). Fair coverage of our subject, the valuations given are of little use and the descriptions are basic.
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'Car Mascots an Enthusiasts Guide' by Sirignano & Sulzberger (ISBN No.0354041568). Contains a good general coverage, mainly b&w with some colour. Illustrates a Breves Gallery Lalique ad' from the May 1929 issue of "The Autocar" magazine.
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'Automobilia' by Gardiner & Morris (ISBN No.1851492933). Good general coverage with excellent (b&w) photos.
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'Motor Badges & Figureheads' by Brian Jewell (ISBN No.0859360628). This covers all the car mascots but with only line drawings. 
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Breves Galleries inter-war period reproduction brochure featuring the mascots in b&w line drawings which makes fascinating reading! together with Lalique Mascots full colour brochure (photos of 40 different types including the statuettes & paperweights) both from the club archives available for £2 (UK) £5 overseas (air-mailed) post & packing included (includes a quick reference guide card. ALL three of these will be sent to you).
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'Unique Lalique Mascots - The Automotive Radiator Hood Ornaments of master glass artisan R. Lalique (Including auction realisation prices)' by G.G. Weiner (ISBN No.9781909984219). Hardback at £35. Then to follow a deluxe faux grey leather bound Art Deco style author signed, number stamped 1-100 limited edition. Contact the club to register your interest to obtain this.
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We extend our gratefull thanks to those people and organizations that helped and advised us in the production of this website: 
Pauline Hulme (in our fondest memory) Becky Lister & Amanda Gaston of brmmbrmm (website composition) 
Fiona Milne and Frederick Fischer of Lalique in London
Madelaine Boursey and Sabrina Chopinaud of Lalique in Paris
Veronique Brumm of Musee Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace, France 
Marianne Brialey and George Kaye of Harrods of Knightsbridge Crystal Room 
Eric Knowles of BBC's The Antiques Roadshow
Tony Wraight collector (UK)
Nicholas Dawes Lalique consultant & expert (USA)
Peter Andrews of Art Deco Express (Austria)
Roger Harris.,P.A.D.A. member, London***
Mascotte Automobile Bouchon de Radiateur Voiture Ancienne (France)
RLalique.com (an American website dedicated to the subject with a mine of information and a team of experts on hand for help, advice and appraisals. Please make sure you visit this site at: www.rlalique.com) 
Francois Vanaret, the well known French motoring artist who kindly supplied the picture 
of the painting for our logo of "Chrysis, adoring and adorning the Dusenberg", reflecting the Art Deco period beautifully! 
Gerry Altman motion picture camera operator and profesional photographer (in our fondest memory).
And to those collector's who supplied the actual pieces, photos and information that wish to remain anonymous.
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COPYRITE WARNING: It is a serious breach of international copyrite laws for any organisation or individual to reproduce any of the information, text or images shown here without prior permission from the registered partners of this website. However any of the images may be reproduced ONLY when this website is mentioned within the text or description of the piece(s) in question. Likewise if ANY of the text is quoted, mention MUST be made that it was taken from this website. Prior notice MUST be made of the above to us together with the name/title of the PUBLICATION or WEBSITE in ALL cases WITHOUT EXCEPTION....
This website is free for ALL to see, stimulation of a healthy knowledge is good for us all!

The badly damaged Hibou...

René Jules Lalique (1860 - 1945)

René Lalique's life and artistic career bestrode arguably the three most important movements in the field of the Decorative Arts - Belle Epoque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
His contemporaries, Emile Gallé and the American, Louis Comfort Tiffany, worked predominantly in Art Glass, distinctive for its rich interplay of colour, botanic motifs and iridescence. These facets, although of great beauty, tended somewhat to disguise the medium of the glass itself. René Lalique, however, stood out from his contemporaries by being the 'purist', who applied his talent to the inherent merits of glass, and thereby elevated it to new heights of technical and artistic interpretation.
Lalique was born on 6th April 1860, in the small French town of Ay in the Marne region. While still an adolescent, he won several awards for his illustrations, and by 1890 had achieved an enviable degree of success as a silversmith, goldsmith, enameller, sculptor, designer and of course as a jeweller. It was in this latter field that he first gained world-wide renown, however, glass held the greatest fascination for Lalique and the advent of the 1930's witnessed the period of his greatest commercial success.
Many truly astonishing items of glassware were produced, including a range of glass car mascots, mainly of female nude or animalier form. By the early 1920's, Lalique had shrewdly recognised the emerging vogue of automobiles de luxe, and offered its devotees his sensual mascots as the ultimate automotive adornment. Perfect examples of these mascots are today extremely rare and are amongst the most valuable of all Lalique's work from this period - the Renard mascot, rarest of all the thirty models, has on three occasions achieved a price of over £300,000, and only a handful of examples are known to exist.
During the golden years of the 1920's and 1930's, the world's wealthiest and most discerning connoisseurs sought out Lalique to add his indefinable genius to their interiors. His patrons included Indian maharajahs, American billionaire industrialists, the great Hollywood stars and European nobility, as well as almost all of the surviving crown heads of Europe's Royal Houses.
Of all the eulogies and posthumous praise heaped on Lalique after his death, one is most worthy of recounting here. One of Lalique's greatest friends and lifelong patrons, the Armenian oil billionaire and collector Calouste Gulbenkian wrote that he ranks among the greatest figures in the history of art of all time …” From Gulbenkian, whose art collection included works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Rodin and Gainsborough as well as some of the finest jewellery by Lalique - this was praise indeed.
The Evolution of the Car Mascot
From the earliest, pre-historic times, Mankind has chosen symbols of different kinds to bring him good luck, to ward off evil spirits, and to distinguish him from other men.
Mascots are symbols of this kind, and since ancient times, boats and other means of transport have been adorned with mascots of different types - the figure-head fitted to ships' bows can be regarded as the direct forerunners of the automobile mascots of the 20th Century.
When the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922, revealing the greatest archaeological treasure ever found, the attention of the entire world was inevitably captured. Among the many priceless objects discovered was the earliest-known mascot for a wheeled vehicle - the sun-crested, solid gold falcon mounted onto the Pharaoh's golden chariot to guide him on his last journey to the next world. This was made over 3,000 years ago, and is the direct inspiration for many mascot designs of the 20th Century.
In 1911, the Grandfather of the present Lord Montagu of Beaulieu commissioned the sculptor Charles Sykes to create the famous Rolls-Royce 'Spirit of Ecstasy' mascot, and the sheer artistic genius of this piece inspired other famous and eminent sculptors to create mascots of great beauty.
René Lalique, universally acknowledged as the French master jeweller and glass designer of the late 19th/early 20th Centuries, needs little introduction. From his origins as a designer of exotic and highly original jewellery in the 1880's, through his sculptural and allegorical glass designs of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, René Lalique constantly amazed and impressed the world.
The Golden Age of Motoring which saw the emergence of the grandes marques such as Delage and Bugatti, Rolls-Royce and Panhard, and thus presented René Lalique with another opportunity for displaying his unique talents. These cars and other famous marques were lavish symbols of wealth distinguished by their own, highly individual mascots. The most famous of these, of course, was the Rolls-Royce 'Spirit of Ecstasy' sculpted by Charles Sykes, but even amidst such illustrious company Lalique was never to be outdone.
The status of owning a highly prized and uniquely designed Hispano Suiza or Lagonda was not enough for the fashion-conscious car owners of Lalique's day. They desired style and panache, something more in keeping with their own sophisticated lifestyles. Lalique was able to satisfy this desire with a series of car mascots, which to this day remain unrivalled in design and execution.
Occasionally, Lalique's mascots have been dismissed either as decorative whims, or artefacts for the indulgence of the rich. But to view them solely in that light is to ignore both their extraordinary artistry and uniqueness, no one could match Lalique in his innovative treatment of glass.
Of course the wealthy have often been loyal patrons of novel artistic and decorative forms, and in this respect the first three decades of the 20th Century were no exception, save for one important factor - style and chic counted for everything among the re-structured upper tiers of Western society. Lalique's mascots aptly reflected this change of mood and accent on style and fashion.
The 1920's and 1930's saw great upheaval, change and innovation. The manufacturing industries had come into their own, the motor car had become a fact of life and aviation was now a reality. In the wake of these innovations came the infant 'jet-setters'. The ranks of the privileged aristocracy were swelled by the industrial barons, the rich upper middle classes and the 'nouveau riche'. On the fringes, this clique included celebrities drawn mainly from the world of fashion, theatre, arts and design. In London their haunts included Claridge's, the Embassy Club, The Ritz and Savoy hotels. In Paris, the hotels 'Le Bristol' and 'Le George V' provided luxurious refuges. From summer until autumn its colourful coterie retreated to its playground in the south, the French Riviera or Biarritz on the Atlantic coast. Here their hosts, the 'Café de Paris' (Monte Carlo), Negresco and Ruhl (Nice) or the 'Atlantic' and 'Grande Bretagne' (Biarritz), provided entertainment in the form of wining and dining, gambling and cabaret. It was, in Noel Coward's immortal words, all Cocktails and laughter but what comes after? Indeed what, Well, if it was not romance, then a moonlight car drive offered an alternative attraction.
The motor car was the focal point of attention for this stylish and fashion-conscious set - by day or night. Grand Tours across the length and breadth of the continent, and France in particular, were much in vogue and in fact this era saw the birth of the concept of 'Grande Tourism'. A rare and splendid sight would be to see a Hispano-Suiza a Bentley or Rolls-Royce, embarked on such an exciting trip. Bedecked with walnut facia, leather upholstery, silver-plated fixtures and fittings, a Lalique car mascot would be the ultimate but essential embellishment.
Apart from their highly collectable value today, Lalique's mascots of course offer collectors a delightful insight into the 1920's, be it as social, motoring or decorative history. In terms of design, they remain unsurpassed among mascots, and as purely decorative pieces, they stand the test of time extremely well and can be used as 'objets d'art' within most modern interiors, thus surviving as attractive objects in their own right. 

Lalique Mascot Feature: Hibou
LALIQUE News
The Owl, (Hibou in French) is one of the rarest car mascots according to most Lalique mascot dealers and collectors. Although nobody actually knows how many of the rarer mascots were produced, the fact remains that the number of known examples is much, much smaller compared to the other Lalique car mascots. These handful become available very rarely and the existence of only a small number is known.
Most Lalique experts regard the Renard (Fox) as the rarest mascot, with the Hibou coming in second place. Others include the Comète (Comet), Epsom (Horse), Tête de Belier (Ram’s Head), Tête de Paon Peacock’s Head) and the Pintade(Guinea Hen).
The Hibou is Model Number 1181 and was produced in January, 1931. It is thought to only have been made in clear and frosted glass apart from non commercial factory colour test pieces). The mascot is, in a word, stunning. Every detail is perfect, from the intent, wide-eyed stare of the bird to the tension in its body, crouched as if poised to take flight at any moment.
Perched on a round base, the Hibou is approximately 10 centimeters tall. Although the hood ornament may be small, its price tag is anything but. One of the highest recorded prices was attained in an Artcurial Auction in October 2013, where aHibou (with sight tail damage) sold for almost $155,000 USD.
Car mascots became popular in the years between WWI and WWII when most car designs featured a radiator cap, which was a natural perch for an ornament. The mascots began disappearing as new designs saw the radiator move underneath the hood, and as a result, there are a relatively small number of any radiator cap mascots still in existence today.
Many Lalique collectors can only dream of a full collection. Regardless of buying power, there are so few of the rarer mascots such as the Hibou on the market that they may forever elude even the most prolific collectors. OK, so does rarity affect the price of a wholly damaged example we have acquired? Well yes & no! We aquired this very damaged exaple in Paris in Febuary 2018 and it came direct from the family that have owned it since it was mounted onto a Bugatti Type 57 sports tourer that was involved in a terrifying accident in 1932 where it rolled, however the mascot survived having been broken in several places and it is still mounted onto its original metal radiator cap!

Most of the information for this article supplied by collector and historian courtesy of David Disiere.

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What a shame!

LALIQUE BOOKs...

These books covering all aspects of the car mascots of R. Lalique is titled: "Unique Lalique Mascots" sub-title: "The automotive radiator hood & desk ornaments of master glass artisan R. Lalique (including auction realisation prices) for collector's" by G.G. Weiner. With a Foreword by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and a Preface by Eric Knowles (Antiques Roadshow expert on Lalique glass) and consultant Lalique specialist Tony Wraight.
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Bi-lingual with both English & French captions: "Catalog raisonne bouchons de radiateur-mascottes de voiture de l'oeuvere par de maitre-verrier R. Lalique, les editions de L'amateur". Vol. 1
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ISBN 978-1-909984-21-9. Printed, published & distributed by The Book Guild Ltd (UK) and Vol. 2 by The Grosvenor House Publishing Co. Ltd.
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TEN YEARS+ in the making! Very well researched, all the required facts, figures, what to look for and what to avoid. Most of the auction houses, collector's & dealers in Lalique were consulted to compile this 'definative' high quality work on the subject. 
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FEATURES: All the thirty known mascots including the paperweights (presse-papiers), the desk ornaments and trophies. The full colour and colour tinted variations, the one-off's and opalescent pieces. The sizes, dimensions, types of signatures and variations encountered. The official & un-official various mounting bases including the Breves Galleries radiator and desk lighting bases (with superbly detailed images), interesting claims by Breves at the time re-printed in the book. The fakes you may encounter, the related books to consult, the places to visit to see them etc. Plus of course the prices realised at auctions all over the world and not taken at random from various collector's & dealers as most 'price-guides' do! 
The true mystique of Lalique, but now all the above is discussed in depth! This is not just a beautiful coffee table tome but a proper reference work that will be consulted time & time again! So this should prove be the last word, the definitive 'bible' on the subject.
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The book is in A4 format and will be available in a fine deluxe limited edition of 100 copies produced in superb grey faux leather bound Art Deco hard-case covers with dust-jacket, number stamped 1-100 and author signed at £100 (one copy only per person). Then a hard-back edition of 1,000 copies are available at £35 each. The cover was taken from an oil painting especially commissioned and reproduced for the book by the famous French motoring artist Francoise Vanaret. 
A planned pocket-size un-limited edition to follow. Please ask for your copy now or to be put on the waiting list*. Please contact us now without delay! 
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DISTRIBUTION: Distributed by The Book Guild Ltd (UK), Borders, Barnes & Noble etc. Available from the Lalique club and on Amazon, Kindle and eBay, selected museum shops, art galleries, libraries, and all good book shops etc.
The book will also be available at most of the classic car shows, autojumbles, antique fairs and of course specialist glass fairs (here & abroad). Promotional flyer's and give-away sample pages will be distributed (to the fairs & people mentioned) from this January to the October launch. 
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**ADVERTISE IN THE BOOK...Yes would you, your company like to be featured in the book? The format is A4 approx 210 x 297 mm). The ad' rates are £950 for a full page, £550 for a half page and £350 for a quarter page, including your company logo and a few of your selected images (depending on size). Lineage advertisements are also available at only £1 per letter/digit (no logo or images for this offer open to collector's only). 
The above prices are inclusive of art-work and do not attract VAT or TVA as the book is classed as educational and a reference work.
So please send your ad' for the publishing house art dept. to make up a 'dummy' for your approval and for you to make any adjustments prior to publication.
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STOCK & SELL THE BOOK: We have already had enquiries about traders wanting to stock & sell the book. So the trade terms are for a minimum order of a dozen (12) copies (not including the special limited edition). Trade prices quoted on your enquiry, please.
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*For the deluxe limited edition pease order direct from the author: G.G. Weiner c/o The Lalique Gallery at the White Lion Garage, Clarendon Place, Kemp Town, Brighton, Sussex BN2 1JD, England. 
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**All advertisers will be entitled to a trade discount on the book, also if you would like to stock and sell the book please get in touch. The official book launch was in October at Waterstones in Brighton at a cheese & wine reception with author signing and q&a evening with special invited guests Eric Knowles & Mark Hill of The Antiques Roadshow, Frederick Ffischer of Lalique London and Christian-Louis Col of Lalique HQ Paris. 
You may also buy the book at the various fairs we attend. Those contributors are invited to pick-up their copy of the book at the events listed on the club website, or from The Lalique Gallery (in Brighton), otherwise the book can be dispatched through the mail at clients cost. Please contact us a.s.a.p. via email for full details if you wish to attend any of these events to: lalique-mascot-collectors-club@virginmedia.com
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Vol. 2 held up by our lovely model Roza Marina (courtesy of her agency 'People per Hour' in Brighton).

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