Tigre By Lalique, Frosted Bengal Tiger, Signed Lalique France

“Tigre” by Lalique;

Frosted Bengal Tiger,

Signed Lalique France

René Lalique (1860-1945) began as a jewelry apprentice at 16, freelancing for Parisian jewelers by 1881. Opening his workshop on Place Gaillon in 1885, he established his brand with the “RL” mark in 1887 and expanded to the Opera District of Paris by 1890, becoming one of its renowned jewelers within a decade.

In 1905, Lalique opened a shop at Place Vendôme, exhibiting both jewelry and glass works. He began producing perfume bottles for François Coty in 1907. Glass production started at his villa in 1902 and expanded to a dedicated facility in Combs-la-Ville in 1909. A notable exhibition of Lalique Glass took place at Place Vendôme in 1912. During WWI, the glassworks supported the war effort. A new production facility in Wingen-sur-Moder commenced in 1919. Lalique produced 29 hood ornament models from 1925-1931 and remained a leading glassmaker throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

René Lalique passed away in 1945. His son, Marc Lalique, continued the business as “M.Lalique” and later as “Cristal Lalique,” shifting focus from Lalique Glass to lead glass. Marie-Claude Lalique took over in 1977. The company changed hands to Pochet in 1994, then to Art & Fragrance and Financière Saint-Germain in 2008. Since 2010, Cristal Lalique has been solely owned by Art & Fragrance.