The Lalique Mascot Collectors' Club

The Lalique Mascot Collectors' Club

Rene Lalique designed and produced an initial output of 28 different types of car mascots from 1925 until 1931. He re-introduced in 1925 two former statuettes (mermaids) as car mascots by adapting the bases to fit onto chrome mounting rings and also onto the Breves Gallery bases, so that a 'neat round figure' of 30 in all is generally accepted by the collecting fraternity as the complete range., however a special one-off (a running greyhound) was produced in 1931 for Prince George, Duke of York (later to become GV1 of Great Britain). And in 1994 a special commission from Rolls-Royce Ltd to mark their 90th anniversary to produce the Spirit of Ecstasy in Chrystal glass in a very limited edition (of 200 pieces only) for presentation to executives of RR and other v.i.p's, also sold & marketed by an outside company called Rapiditas Editions Ltd on behalf of Lalique.
Please note that some of these mascots were mounted onto either white-opaque or black glass and sometimes marble large square bases and marketed as pairs of bookends. The bases are sometimes signed and the mascots themselves will have a chrome collor ring to retain them for fixing to the bases. The ones shown with # are the ones the Lalique concern adapted and sold as such.
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Herewith are listed below the complete collection of (the thirty) Rene Lalique car mascots/Bouchons de Radiateurs signed/marked 'R.Lalique France', using the Lalique factory catalogue numbers which only apply to this inter-war range as any re-introductions will have a different catalogue number and be signed in script 'Lalique France' dropping the 'R' after 1945 (in most cases). With the occupation of France and with it the Alsace & Lorraine region by the Germany forces in 1940, production halted and did not continue until after the war. With the death of Rene in 1945 the 'R' in the signature was then dropped. After the war production continued (most of the steel cast moulds were fortunatly saved) under the management of Marc Lalique. The date of introduction or re-introduction as paperweights (presse-papiers) are shown here, also the date of discontinuation of each piece. Accourding to the Felix Marcilhac book some of the mascots were discontinued in 1937, some were produced up until 1940 and then continued after 1945, however they were still listed in the 1947 to 1951 catalogues as old stock were depleated. On Marc's death in 1977 the company continued to prosper under Marie-Claude Lalique Dedouvre untill her untimely demise in 1994 in the USA. The company is now Swiss owned it still prospers.
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Bouchons de Radiateurs le Mascottes, The Mascots or Hood Ornaments:
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Sirene/Small Mermaid 831 introduced in 1920 as a statuette adapted and used as a car mascot from 1925 (discontinued possibly in 1940 with the occupation of France by German forces and not re-released as a paperweight again)
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Naiade/Large Mermaid 832 (ditto as above)
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Cinq Chevaux/Five Horses 1122 introduced on 26/8/1925 (ditto)
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Comete Etoile Filante/Comet Shooting Star 1123 introduced on 24/8/25 (ditto. Discontinued in 1937)
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Faucon/Falcon 1124 introduced on 5/8/25# (discontinued in 1947)
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Tireur d'Arc/Archer 1126 introduced on 3/8/26 (ditto)
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Coq Nain/Cockerel 1135 introduced on 10/2/28 (discontinued as a paperweight in 2011)
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Tete de Belier/Rams Head 1136 introduced on 3/2/28 (discontinued in 1932)
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Tete de Coq/Cockerels Head 1136 introduced on 3/2/28# (discontinued in 2004)
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Tete d'Aigle/Eagles Head 1138 introduced on 14/3/28# (still in production as a paperweight)
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Tete d'Epervier/Hawks Head 1139 introduced on 21/1/28 (discontinued in 1937)
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Tete de Paon/Peacocks Head 1140 introduced on 3/2/28# (re-introduced in 2007 discontinued 2011)
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Levrier/Greyhound 1141 introduced on 14/3/28 (discontinued in 1940)
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Saint-Christophe/St Christopher 1142 introduced on 1/3/28 (discontinued in 1987)
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Hirondelle/Swallow 1143 10/2/28# (discontinued as a mascot in 1940, as a bookend in 2009)
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Petite Libellule/Small Dragonfly 1144 introduced on 12/4/28 (discontinued in 1940)
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Grand Libellule/Large Dragonfly 1145 introduced on 23/5/28 ditto (recently re-introduced in 2007, discontinued in 2013)
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Grenouille/Frog 1146m introduced on 3/5/28 (discontinued in 1940)
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Victoire/Victory Spirit of the Wind 1147 introduced 18/4/28 (recently re-introduced 2010 as a paperweight)
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Longchamp A/Horse A 1152A introduced on 12/6/29# (discontinued on 10/9/29)
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Longchamp B/Horse B 1152B introduced on 10/9/29# (discontinued 1940 re-introduced as a paperweight Spring 2011)
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Epsom/Horse 1153 introduced on 5/6/29 (discontinued in 1940)
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Sanglier/Wild Boer 1157 introduced on 3/10/29 (discontinued in 1940, as a paperweight in 2004)
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Perche Poisson/Perch Fish 1158 introduced on 20/4/29 (ditto)
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Vitesse/Speed Goddess 1160 introduced on 30/4/29 (recently re-introduced in 2009 as a paperweight)
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Coq Houdan/Proud Cock 1161 introduced on 30/4/29# (discontinued in 1940)
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Pintade/Guinea Fowl 1164 introduced on 28/9/29# (ditto)
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Hibou/Owl 1181 introduced on 27/1/31 (ditto)
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Renard/Fox 1182 introduced on 9/12/30 (ditto)
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Chrysis/Nude Female 1183 introduced on 21/3/31# (still in production as a paperweight)
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See: 'Photographs'.
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This subject is fairly complex, so if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the club.
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For the full history of Rene Lalique and his work, please go to our 'link' which clicks onto: www.collectfair.co.uk (then click onto 'Powered by Collect Fair', put 'Lalique Mascots' into the search box to take you directly to the web pages).