Signed Val Saint Lambert Cut Crystal Bowl. Signature on underside. 

Size: 10 x 10 x 3 1/4 in. 

In 1802, at Napoleon’s request, Henri D’Artigues established a successful lead crystal factory at Vonêche in annexed Belgium, which became the French empire’s most important crystal producer. Following Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, new import duties caused D'Artigues to shift operations to Baccarat, France, while two key workers from Vonêche, François Kemlin and Auguste Lelièvre, purchased the former Val-Saint-Lambert Abbey site in 1825 and founded a new glassworks. Following the Belgian Revolution the Vonêche factory closed and most of its employees relocated to the new Val Saint Lambert site, which developed into a self-contained village for its workers. The company grew into an internationally renowned brand, reaching its peak between 1900 and 1914, employing over 5,000 workers, but faced significant challenges during both World War I and the Great Depression, which forced closures and contractions. Despite being bombed during World War II, production resumed and the company was saved by exports to North America, and today Val Saint Lambert continues to produce glass art at its original Seraing facility, holding a royal warrant from King Albert II.

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