A unique sculpture of a great ape by Isabelle Carabantes

The meeting between Isabelle Carabantes and Cristallerie Daum was primarily based on their passions: sculpture and animals. The extraordinary beauty of nature and the animal world is a common denominator between Daum and the artist, giving rise to the sublime version of Isabelle Carabantes's anthropomorphic monkey – Le Cogito.

Some of the artist's works reference scientific or philosophical readings that shed new light on the animal world. They confirm that animals are endowed with a range of feelings and intelligence similar to humans. This is the case with Cogito, which is not a work by Descartes, but was born from reading a book related to metacognition—the study of knowledge about knowledge—conducted on anthropoid primates.

Daum is a brand of the highest quality craftsmanship combined with a passion for creating luxurious objects.

Discover the history

Daum, the legendary glassmaker who for over a century has maintained close relationships with the greatest artists of his time, giving their works a second life in crystal and color. From École de Nancy, Art Nouveau, to decorative arts, from Majorelle to Dalí, Arman, and Hilton McConnico, Daum has never missed a single magical encounter between artistic creativity and modern knowledge, continuously renewing the union of art and exceptional craftsmanship.

Few brands have collaborated with so many artists: over nearly 140 years, more than 350 exceptional autographs have created an unparalleled legacy, a unique collection of its kind.

How can we translate these works into crystal sculptures? Here is Daum's secret: a creator of extraordinary objects, highly educated workshop, a laboratory of wonders, a designer of unmatched items.

Creation methods

The crystal paste technique is rare and very ancient. It appeared as early as 5000 BC (found in the tombs of pharaohs). Long forgotten, it was rediscovered by Daum in 1900 and further developed in 1968. The process is extremely delicate. Items produced by combining pieces of crystal in a mold are characterized by graininess, material richness, and soft contours that cannot be achieved with blown glass.

Daum's signature, copied but never matched, is the crystal paste—a precious material that gives the object a sculptural dimension and continues to evolve. Crystal paste has the particular property of imparting transparency to the shapes it reproduces. The shine of this material, the intensity of colors, and subdued shades give it a unique character.

Crystal paste contains nearly 30% lead. It is produced from specially made crystal in pots. Several factors influence the final color effect: weighing of materials, mixture proportions, chemical reactions of certain minerals and metals, temperature increase, and cooling of the furnaces.

Thanks to the Daum-developed lost-wax casting method and crystal casting technique, reproducing the original is perfect and in accordance with the artist's wishes. Currently, Daum is the only manufacturer in the world capable of creating this exceptional material with such precision. Crystal paste is a substance that has been evolving for over a century, adapting to the whims of glassmaking masters' imagination. It is through mastery and continuous research that world-renowned masterpieces are born.