Description

Original Rene Lalique Car Mascot

From our Lalique collection, we are thrilled to offer this original Rene Lalique Avion biplan (Biplane). The Biplane is made from molded-pressed white glass and held within a good quality steel base. The plaque was a model that was not available for purchase at all and was made specifically in honour of the twenty fifth anniversary of French Aviation pioneer Henry Farman who in 1908 made the first kilometre in a closed circuit flight in Europe. It is signed to the side R.Lalique and dates to the Art Deco period circa 1933.

See Page 476 Motifs Decoratifs of Félix Marcilhac book René Lalique maître-verrier for the Avion biplan.

René Lalique (1860-1945) created his stunning car mascot (bouchons de radiateur) designs between 1925 and 1931. Their production ceased in 1940, a year after WWII had begun. René’s factory, Verrerie d’Alsace, in Wingen-sur-Mode was forced to close following German occupation of the Alsace region. René sadly passed away in May 1945, so did not live to see the end of the war, nor the subsequent re-opening of the factory by his son Marc. Marc resumed production of his father’s famous mascot designs using the original steel moulds which had the fortune of being preserved, in spite of the war.

Henry Farman (1874-1958) was a British-French aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. He was born in Paris, France to English parents. Before dedicating himself to aviation he gained fame as a sportsman, specifically in cycling and motor racing, Henry began to practice in aviation in 1907 with a homemade biplane glider on the sandhills of Le Touquet, a small seaside town in northern France. Henri then decided he wanted a machine powered plane and ordered a Voisin 1907 biplane which he then used to set many official records for both distance and duration.

On the 26th of October 1907 at Issy-les-Moulineaux, France he made flights, among others of 363, 403, and 771 metres in the plane and he also started to turn the plane in the air. The distance of 771 metres was completed in 52 seconds and was recorded as the longest flight in the world that year in which he won Farman the Ernest Archdeacon Cup. He made a complete circular flight of 1,030 metres in 1 minute 14 seconds on 10th of November 1907 at Issy. This was the first time that a European aeroplane had completed a full circle and the first time that an aeroplane (other than a Wright brothers one) had stayed in the air for longer than a minute.

The Voisin-Farman I was also the first biplane in Europe to fly a circular circuit of 1 kilometre over a predetermined course on thr 13th of January 1908. This again occurred at Issy-les-Moulineaux, France and won Henri the 50,000 franc Grand Prix d’Aviation offered by Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe. On the 30th of October 1908 Farman went on to make the first cross-country flight in Europe flying from his hangars at Camp de Châlons, Bouy to Reims, landing at the cavalry ground covering of 27 kilometres.

With every purchase from Mark Goodger Antiques, you will receive our latest catalogue, a Certificate of Authenticity, detailed care instructions for your chosen piece and an independent invoice (for insurance purposes) will be enclosed. As well as being protected by a no-hassle, money-back policy, your piece will be entirely insured during the shipping process to ensure the safety of your item.

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