Pierre D’Avesn
Pierre d’Avesn (1901-1990) is an artistic pseudonym adopted by Pierre Girre, who was a master genius of his genre. From the age of 14 years he was employed by no other than René Lalique, the undisputed master glass artist of them all. Lalique purchased the copyrights to all of d’Avesn’s designs at this time, which illustrates the achievements and working-skills that d’Avesn demonstrated from a tender age. Designers were not allowed to sign their own designs. D’Avesn worked for Lalique for about 10 years designing some of their best-known pieces. Several of his designs for Lalique, still remain to this day some of the most highly desirable patterns of them all, those are vases ‘Serpent’ and ‘Tourbillons’.
In 1924, after 10 years working for René Lalique, Pierre d’Avesn created his own factory and worked with Saint Rémy glassworks for production of his molds and signed them `P. d’Avesn’.
In 1930 by aged 29 he was manager and principal designer at `Daum Freres’ at their Croismare glassworks at Luneville in France, where he remained until 1936. D’Avesn had learnt one important lesson and made a deal that his designs would have his signature, not `Verrier D’Art Lorrain’. Naturally his designs were of a much better quality than the other company’s products.
One year later he took over the Management of `Verlys’ glass factories (one of the better opalescent glassworks in France at the time) until the outbreak of the Second Wold War in 1940 and still aged just 39 years. The incredible works that d’Avesn was responsible for, were not only confined to his employees or for the quality factories of the period that he managed. Some of his most accomplished works he produced as a freelance artist at Choisy-le-Roi glassworks after the War. From 1952 he continued his work at Vannes le Châtel glassworks until 1984.
Pierre d’Avesn, did far much more than simply contributing to the glass-making world of his era: he established it being a major force to be reckoned with. By comparison René Lalique was well into 50s, before his own mold glass vase and bowl designs were introduced. After Lalique D’Avesn had convinced his employers to let him sign his work. So it is difficult to tell which of his companies actually made pieces signed D’Avesn. Pierre d’Avesn made a prominent contribution through his ongoing achievements into artistic glass designs living in time with actually manufactured Lalique molds.
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