Daum is a French crystal studio founded in 1878 by Jean Daum in Nancy, the historic center of the Art Nouveau movement in France. The company rose to prominence through its association with the Ecole de Nancy, producing art glass alongside contemporaries such as Emile Galle. Daum is distinguished as one of the only crystal manufacturers in the world that continues to employ the pate de verre technique, a labor-intensive process in which crushed crystal is packed into refractory molds and then slowly fused in a kiln at controlled temperatures. This ancient technique, dating back to ancient Egypt, produces objects with extraordinary depth of color and luminosity.
Daum's home decor collections feature vases, bowls, sculptures, and decorative accessories rendered in vivid, saturated colors that are a hallmark of the pate de verre process. The studio regularly collaborates with international artists and sculptors, including Salvador Dali, Hilton McConnico, and more recently emerging contemporary artists, to produce limited-edition sculptural works. Each piece requires approximately 10 to 20 days to produce, involving multiple firings and meticulous hand-finishing. The crystal's characteristic translucency and color saturation cannot be replicated by any other production method, giving Daum objects a visual signature that is immediately recognizable.
Daum operates boutiques and showrooms in Paris, Nancy, New York, Miami, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Delhi. The company maintains its primary manufacturing facilities in Nancy and the nearby village of Vannes-le-Chatel, preserving the regional glassmaking tradition. Home decor pieces range from approximately $300 for small decorative objects to over $15,000 for large sculptural works and artist collaboration editions. The Daum museum, housed in the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Nancy, holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Art Nouveau glass in the world.