Daum

The story of Daum begins in 1878, when Jean Daum — a Parisian lawyer turned glassmaker — took over a struggling glassworks on the banks of the Meurthe river in Nancy, France. What followed was one of the great creative transformations in decorative arts history. Under the leadership of his sons Auguste and Antonin, the Daum workshops became one of the defining voices of Art Nouveau, producing works of glass that stood alongside the greatest names of the Belle Époque.

The technique that sets Daum apart from all others is pâte de verre — literally "glass paste" — a laborious process in which powdered crystal is mixed with pigments, packed into moulds by hand, and fired at precise temperatures to create objects of extraordinary colour, translucency, and texture. Unlike blown or cast glass, pâte de verre allows Daum's artists to paint in three dimensions, building up layers of colour that seem to glow from within. The technique has been practised at the Nancy workshops for over 140 years and remains one of the most closely guarded secrets in French craft.

Throughout the twentieth century, Daum continued to push the boundaries of what crystal could express, collaborating with leading artists and sculptors — from Salvador Dalí and César to Hilton McConnico and Richard Texier — to create limited-edition works that blur the line between decorative object and fine art. Today, every Daum piece is individually signed, numbered, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Many are held in permanent museum collections around the world.

Gloria is proud to bring Daum's masterpieces to Erbil — a rare opportunity to acquire signed French crystal art of international museum quality, available in our showroom for you to experience firsthand.