GABRIEL ARGY-ROUSSEAU | “Papillon”

designed by Marcel-André Bouraine

Janine Bloch-Dermant, Les Pâtes de Verre: G. Argy-Rousseau, Catalogue Raisonné, Paris, 1990, p. 218, no. 28.17
Victor Arwas, Art Deco Sculpture, London, 1992, p. 24
Susanne K. Frantz, Particle Theories: International Pâte de Verre and Other Cast Glass Granulations, exh. cat., Museum of American Glass at Wheaton Village, Millville, New Jersey, 2005, p. 21, fig. 23

Overall in very good condition. The glass with minor, light surface scratches throughout, not visually obtrusive due to the colorful swirling of cyan-hued glass. The sculpture with some surface dirt in recessed areas of the design, mostly concentrated on the face and wings of the figure. The pate de cristal with minor air bubbles and particulate inclusions inherent in the making and not visually distracting. The glass with some minor crizzling, mostly concentrated on the upper torso, face and wings of the figure, consistent with the natural aging process of the material. An example of this model is in the collection of The Corning Museum of Glass, New York.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1928, Gabriel Argy-Rousseau commissioned famed sculptor Marcel-Andre Bouraine to design a series of female figurines for him to form in glass. This series created by Bouraine included the design entitled “Papillon,” which features a butterfly woman moments before flight, her wings thrown back in exuberance. This figure is highly reminiscent of the famed dancer Loie Fuller, who took Europe by storm with her colorful dance “Papillon,” which she performed with silk scarfs suggestive of billowing wings.

These rare figures were created using a complex glass technique Argy-Rousseau revolutionized known as pâte-de-cristal. The process, in which glass is carefully applied to a mold a few grains at a time, was painstakingly precise, and Argy-Rousseau closely guarded the secrets to his glassmaking. One of the benefits of the pâte-decristal technique is the variegated naturalism of the result, as seen in the extraordinary depth of color in these “Papillon” sculptures. The present lots were crafted in a rich quartz-like magenta, a glowing amber, and a brilliant emerald green-blue, respectively, and it is extraordinarily rare to see all three of these colors offered together at auction. Argy-Rousseau used the contrast between opaque glass and whirls of colored glass to add a natural element to these sculptures, perhaps mimicking the organic swirling forms present in a butterfly’s wings.