Opalescent Artistic Glass Fish by Marius-Ernest Sabino, French Art Deco Glass
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If it is not as we described it, we make it right. Wrong dimensions, undisclosed damage, or any material misdescription — tell us within 7 days and we refund you in full, pay the return shipping, and charge no restocking fee.
- White-glove freight, quoted per order, room of choice
- In stock in Miami — no transatlantic wait, no customs
- To the trade: 15% on everything
Sabino art glass refers to the opalescent vessels, figurines and lighting fixtures that Marius-Ernest Sabino produced in the 1920s and 1930s and that epitomized the cosmopolitan glamour of Art Deco period.
Sabino was born in Sicily in 1878, moving with his family in the 1880s to France. There his father was a sculptor working primarily in wood. Encouraged by his father to study fine art, Sabino attended both the École national supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and the École national supérieure des Beaux Arts de Paris. During his studies, he became fascinated by the new technologies for generating electricity and how they were changing the glass industry. Returning home following service in World War I, Sabino founded a factory that manufactured light fixtures in wood and bronze, but he quickly switched his focus to glass, as his experiments with the material yielded novel results. By 1925, he had developed an opalescent glass with the iridescence of soap bubbles or peacock feathers.
The factory is still in France because the moulds are cultural heritage and are not allowed to leave the country.
Dimensions: Height: 2.75 in (6.99 cm) Width: 4 in (10.16 cm) Depth: 1.13 in (2.88 cm)
Marius-Ernest Sabino
1878–1961, Acireale and Paris
- Training
- École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
- Signature
- Opalescent glass, own formula from 1925
- Commissions
- SS Normandie
- Honours
- Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur
- Collections
- Musée des Arts Décoratifs · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Marius-Ernest Sabino was born in Acireale in Sicily in 1878 and came to France as a small child. He studied woodcarving, as his father had done, and then at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
What caught him was electricity, and what it would ask of glass. After the First World War he set up a factory making light fittings, first in wood and bronze, then in glass, and by 1925 he had worked out his own formula for opalescent glass. He lit hotels and restaurants and the liner Normandie, and was made Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur. His work is held by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sabino glass has been made again since the 1970s from the original moulds, so a Sabino mark alone does not date a piece to the artist’s lifetime. Where we date a piece to the Art Deco period we say what we are dating it on.
Biographical detail from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Quoted per order, never estimated
Domestic freight
Every piece ships from our warehouse in Miami. Furniture travels white-glove with BMC International Freight, room of choice, subject to the carrier’s access at your address. Freight transit is typically 7–14 business days; we contact you to arrange a delivery window. Smaller pieces travel insured by ground courier.
International
We ship worldwide, quoted case by case. Tell us the piece and the destination and we will price crating, freight, insurance and customs handling for you.
Packing
Packed by hand. Fragile items are double-boxed with custom foam inserts. Glass and detachable elements are removed, packed separately and reassembled on arrival.
If something arrives damaged
Photograph the packaging and the piece before unpacking further, and contact us within 48 hours. We handle all freight claims directly and will arrange a resolution.
Returns
One day from delivery for a change of mind — buyer pays shipping and a 15% restocking fee. If the fault is ours, none of that applies: 7 days, full refund including your original shipping, we pay the return freight, no restocking fee. See our refund policy.
Request a shipping quote
We price the actual crate, the actual route, the actual service level, and send it before you commit.