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a glass vase with a design on it on a white surfacea glass vase with a bird on it with gold trimmingsa glass vase that has a gold and white design on ita glass vase with a picture of a bird on ita vase with a painting on it sitting on a tablea glass vase with a gold decoration on ita glass vase with a design on it on a white surface
Premium Senequier-Crozet (Anciennement Sadde Grenoble)

Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Sale commission
Description
DAUM NANCY ‘The Empress’s Flowers – Compiègne 1901’, a model catalogued under number ‘1856’ in the 1901 collection ‘The Empress’s Heather, View of Compiègne’, produced by Daum - a work celebrating the friendship between France and Russia, which began in 1892 and was produced following the visit of the Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to Compiègne in 1901 A rare cylindrical vase; the neck is pinched and trilobed. Clear glass piece; the continuous decoration symbolising the town of Compiègne and Russia (heather and the double-headed eagle) and bearing the inscription – Compiègne 1901 – etched and executed in polychrome enamels and gold; the landscape depicting the garden and the Allée des Beaux-Monts at the Château de Compiègne is rendered in grisaille. The marbled background bears the inscription – Les Fleurs de l’Impératrice – and embellished with upper and lower friezes of floral trellises in the Rocaille style, etched and lavishly highlighted in gold (see the full description, history and interpretation of the decoration in the appendix). Signed ‘DAUM Nancy’ with the Cross of Lorraine in gold beneath the base. H. 29 cm Archives: Daum Archives, Nancy – Our vase model is listed under number 1856 in the 1901 ‘Bruyères de l’Impératrice, vue de Compiègne’ model register, held in the archives of this institution. Daum Nancy – Tsar Nicholas II’s second visit to France – 1901 The two vases by Daum Nancy featured in this auction have a unique history. These creations are in fact objects commemorating a diplomatic event of great significance that took place at the beginning of the 20th century: the second visit to France by Tsar Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, in September 1901. This visit followed on from previous exchanges between France and Russia, the roots of which lay in the establishment of the Franco-Russian alliance in 1893, under the auspices of Tsar Alexander III – an event also depicted on glass by Daum [see Musée d’Orsay – Inv. OAO 964 2]. In 1901, after being welcomed in Dunkirk, the sovereigns travelled to Compiègne and then to Reims, where they attended a series of official receptions and military parades. Extremely rare, our pieces recount this event and, even more so, bear witness to the artistic exchanges and flourishing cultural ties between the two nations. Numerous works of art, paintings, sculptures and coins were created for such occasions – both as diplomatic gifts or historical mementoes, and as a commercial strategy and a means of establishing artistic expertise. Capitalising on the popular enthusiasm surrounding the Franco-Russian celebrations, the Daum company created, on the occasion of the Tsar’s second visit to France, eight pieces bearing the coats of arms of both countries, and nine others in homage to the Empress – whose lineage, tracing back to illustrious Lorrain ancestors, made her a key figure in the 1901 journey.¹ Thus, following the creations of 1893 and 1896, which utilised the same techniques and processes, Daum reaffirmed its interest in the Franco-Russian visit through pieces rich in symbolism – such as the two vases presented here. The first, in a frosted white, bears the inscriptions ‘The Empress’s Flowers’ and ‘Compiègne 1901’. Adorned with heather, a plant characteristic of the Compiègne forest, and a stylised floral design, it evokes – as its title suggests – the Empress’s visit to the ‘Cité Impériale ’²—where these flowers were indeed presented to her upon her arrival.³ The vase also depicts a landscape rendered in grisaille, recognisable as that of the garden and the Allée des Beaux-Monts at the Château de Compiègne, where they were received, and from where the heather originates. Added to this is the Russian imperial symbol, namely the crowned double-headed black eagle with outstretched wings – a diplomatic reference to the Emperor and the Empress. In its right talon it holds a golden sceptre and in its left a circled azure orb – symbols of the autocratic tsar’s sovereignty – and wears the Cross of the Imperial Order of St Andrew around its neck. The eagle also bears on its wings the coats of arms of the empire’s territories – namely, in the centre, Moscow, with its shield featuring Saint George slaying the dragon; on the right, Khasan, Poland, the three cities of Kyiv, Vladimir and Novgorod, and the Crimea; on the left, Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia and Finland. This same symbol of Russian power also features on the second vase, which has a golden-brown background, accented with gold-highlighted details, in reference to the imperial flag. This bears the inscriptions ‘Compiègne R[h]eims 1901’, as well as the motto of the city of Reims, ‘Dieu en soit garde’ – the place where the Tsar attended a military parade. This time, the double-headed eagle is flanked by the rooster, the symbol of France. Added to this design is a ribbon listing the dates and locations of previous Franco-Russian meetings – which clearly reinforces the bond between the two nations and places the 1901 event within a specific diplomatic timeline. Indeed, mention is made of the year 1893, when the Russian squadron visited Toulon and the Franco-Russian alliance was signed; then 1896, the year of Tsar Nicholas II’s first visit to France, taking in Cherbourg, Paris and Châlons; and finally 1897, the year of President Félix Faure’s visit to Kronstadt and Saint Petersburg. As with the previous vase, a floral motif completes the design. Depicted are stylised fleurs-de-lis set within circles, symbols of France and Reims, as well as heather, in reference to Compiègne. Around the neck of the vase are also bunches of grapes, probably linked to champagne, of which the Tsar was a great connoisseur. _____ 1 Christophe Bardin – Daum, 1878–1939, an art industry of Lorraine – Éditions Serpenoise, Metz, 2004, p. 204. 2 Compiègne is nicknamed the ‘Imperial City’ due to its heritage linked to the two Empires. 3 A Tsar in Compiègne, Nicholas II, 1901 – Press release for the exhibition held at the National Museum of the Château de Compiègne (30 September 2001 – 14 January 2002), p. 8. Expert: Emmanuel EYRAUD
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About the sale GRENOBLE – Arts Collections – October 2026
Auction location
Auction time 10/06/2026 at 6:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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