Large round bowl “Les épis” in opal glass produced in the 1930s by Verlys France.

Decorated with fanning ears of corn in a subtle bluish pattern.

The dish can be found in the 1934 catalogue under number 8629 – “Les épis” colour “bleu paon”.

Signed in relief at the center with ‘Verlys’.

Diameter: 30 cm

In Les Andelys, a village in Normandy, the Holophane company established in 1920 a subsidiary called Verlys, for the manufacture of high-quality pressed glass.

Holophane itself, founded in 1898, was and still is a leading international manufacturer of high-quality lighting systems known for its use of prismatic borosilicate glass, a technology that optimally distributes light and prevents glare.

The name VERLYS is a contraction of the letters “VERrerie des AndeLYS”.

Verlys is known for naturalistic motifs such as birds, fish, butterflies, flowers (poppies, thistles) and geometric patterns. The most common types of glass are clear, frosted and opalescent (with a milky, bluish sheen).

In 1935, ‘Verlys of America’ was founded in Newark, Ohio. Original French moulds were often used, but later on, American artists such as Carl Schmitz also developed their own designs.

French pieces usually feature a moulded signature such as “Verlys” or “Verlys France”, while American pieces are usually signed with a hand-engraved or diamond-point scratched signature.