Lot 136: Rare Jules Habert-Dys (French, 1850-1924) Vase Art glassFrance, c. 1907Vasiform transparent glass with metallic oxide overlay with cut

Rare Jules Habert-Dys (French, 1850-1924) Vase
Art glass
France, c. 1907
Vasiform transparent glass with metallic oxide overlay with cut and etched surface of stylized thistle design signed by the artist at base, ht. 14 1/4 in.

Note: Examples of work by Habert-Dys can be found in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Musée d'Orsay, Paris, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis.

Jules Auguste Habert was born into a poor family but his early talent for drawing was recognized and he was apprenticed to draw. From there he progressed to the field of ceramics. His exceptional skill as a draughtsman led to him exhibiting two earthenware panels at the Paris Salon des Artistes Français in 1876. His skills were broadened by a period at the Haviland workshop. His medium changed and his audience grew between 1881 and 1887 when he executed 500 drawings for the magazine L'Art. It was at this time that he began to sign his work "Habert-Dys" (Dys having been his mother's maiden name). In 1907, Habert-Dys was appointed Professor of Drawing at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs, and he began experiments in glass making. His work in glass and lacquer continued until the outbreak of the first World War when his wife's failing health and financial difficulties curtailed his practical work. Although working in the design world for more than forty years, examples of Habert-Dys's own creations are scarce and rarely appear on the international market. For further biographical details see, Victor Arwas, Glass, Art Nouveau to Art Deco (London, 1977), pp. 104-106.