Page 22 - Apr2022

According to Barnaby's, "one of Lalique?s most popular designs, The Dragonfly, included a
lighted, multicolored mechanism beneath its base, which revolved as the car moved to
cast various shades of light up through the clear glass statue".

As a matter of historic interest, In 1932, Lalique's eagle emblem was adopted for use on
cars associated with Hitler's Nazi party.

As the use of fragile glass increased the cost and rarity of these specialized ornaments
Lalique , although the most prestigious manufacturer, was not the only glass studio that
produced mascots made from this material. Red-Ashay in Britain, Sabino in France, and
Parsons-Majestic in the United States all produced mascots of this sort. Glass artists like
H. Hoffman, who produced a classic Art Deco example from what was known as
Uranium glass, were sought out by manufacturers.

Today, mascots are collectors' items. Last fall Sotheby's Auction House offered a curated

selection of unusual mascots, not all rarities like Laliques, yet still highly prized by
automobilia enthusiasts. They brought top dollar. Below are some interesting examples
of the art of the mascot.
Act Deco horse head in
Uranium glass by H.
Hoffman

Pre -war head of a
Viking on a Rover

An aerodynamic hare
feeatured on a 1926 Talbot

Nude on a
snail, 1910
LeTank, from
the Sotheby's
catalog.

An Austin fighting cock from A rare manufacturer's mascot, the MG Midge that
the Sotheby's catalog. marked the less than successful MG Midget.
22 Next , The Mascot Law in t he UK, p. 24