Argental soliflore vase (circa 1920).

Very pretty soliflore from the Argental house. A piece from the Art Deco/Art Nouveau period. Estimated around 1920. With a rather rare mix of colours. The Argental house was founded by Paul Nicolas (1875-1952), a brilliant student and chief designer of Émile Gallé. He established his own workshop in 1919 with the association of the "Graveurs Réunis". The trademark "D’Argental" refers to the Münzthal valley (the "valley of silver" in German), the location of the prestigious Saint-Louis glassworks that supported his work. The vase was estimated by an auctioneer to be from around 1919-1920, at the beginning of Argental's production, as Paul Nicolas, freshly out of the Gallé house, used the models he had already produced at Gallé. Furthermore, Paul Nicolas initially signed as d'argental and the Lorraine cross (as on this vase) before evolving to a signature that included his name. No signs of wear.