Model No: 1158 Perche. Created April 1929
For this mascot, René LALIQUE was certainly inspired by his childhood walks along the River Marne in the village of Ay, like so many other of his pieces.
Other fish designs of Lalique show them swimming whilst looking from above, the mascot is side on, taut and purposeful, in sync with the car onto which it is mounted.
In Greek, Ictos means fish and still in this same language, each of these letters corresponds to a word. These words put together give us the phrase: "Jesus Christ, Son of God".
By analogy, the fish is, in China, a symbol of life. Gentle, calm, fluid life. René LALIQUE therefore created this delightful little light and agile image that stood the test of time.
Just like the Falcon, the Peacock Head and the Wild Boar, the Perche mascot is a perfect reflection of the naturalist school, an artistic influence appearing in certain creations by René LALIQUE.
Height/Length: 18cm (Marcilhac shows this dimension as height, both are likely a cataloguing error - height is 10cm, length is 16cm
Clear (white) glass, Opalescent and Colour (amber) models are catalogued and exist. Press molded.
Price (1932 Lalique et Cie Catalogue): 295FF (clear) and 320FF (colour)
Breves of Knightsbridge, London UK titled this model ’Fish’and listed a price of £4/4/0 ‘unilluminated' or £5/5/5 ‘for light’ using the patented Breves illuminated mount. A bulb was 3/s and Duty was 15/s. It appeared only in later Breves Car Mascot leaflets and sale lists. Interestingly this is the only mascot listed in Breves literature where a separate price for a coloured version (opal glass or amber) is listed at £6/6/0, it is presumed this is as a mounted price based on pricing in later literature as a paperweight only.
Other names for this mascot - Perche, Perch, Fish, Fish Opal, Fish White, Fish Amber. Mascotte, Hood Ornament, Car Mascot, Bouchon de Radiateur, Radiator Cap.
Appeared in 1932 Lalique Catalogue. Removed from 1937 Catalogue but continued as a paperweight (presse-papiers) at this time.
Continued in crystal post 1947 and reissued in 1951, retaining the molded R. Lalique France signature for a period of time. Later introduced in clear and several colours (no molded signature). No longer marketed today.