AUCTIONS: THE P.OLLAND COLLECTION

After an initial sale held in September, the Millon auction house is preparing to disperse a new portion of the Philippe Olland collection on October 13, 2026, at the Hôtel Drouot. Among the 266 lots dedicated to art glass, ranging from the late 19th century to Art Deco, are five pieces of glass by Auguste JEAN.

An enthusiast, Philippe Olland has been collecting Art Nouveau and Art Deco glass for over thirty years. This passion also led him to publish several reference works on the subject and to found the Émaux et Verres d’Art association, in order to present his collection to the public in Montigny-lès-Metz. It is this collection that is now being gradually dispersed at auction.

Of the 6 lots attributed to Auguste Jean in the catalog, only 5 are genuine: lots 152, 153, 154, 156, and 157. These are art glass pieces made of blown and metallized glass, adorned with enamel-painted decorations, as Auguste Jean produced in many examples.

           

With the exception of the large pink vase (lot 157), which serves as the base for a superb and rare enameled decoration in the neo-Renaissance "à la Bérain" style, all the other glass pieces belong, by their shape and painted decoration, to an Far Eastern and japonisant register. The shapes of the two small tripod "furoshiki" vases (lots 152 and 154) and the quadripod jardiniere (lot 153) are already known through several examples, but their decorations make them unique pieces. The jardiniere notably features a painted decoration with the inscription "Tréport," likely related to a specific order or destination. It is regrettable, however, that the tripod base of the vase in lot 152 has been ground down.

The centerpiece (lot 156) is particularly remarkable for its complex shape, composed of several nested bowls around a central metal stem, as well as its excellent state of preservation. Only one other example of this type is currently known to us, preserved at the Daiichi Museum of Art in Nagoya (Japan).

This collection attests to the diversity of shapes and techniques employed by Auguste Jean for his artistic glassware: blown and hot-worked glass, organic shapes, enamel-painted decorations, gilded highlights, and metallization effects. We find everything that characterizes his production: a precious style, a great decorative richness, and a remarkable quality of execution. It should be noted that these 5 lots are identified by a painted signature or the presence of a glass wafer applied while hot.

See you on October 13 for this exceptional sale! Alongside Auguste Jean, the great names of glassmaking will be featured: Gallé, Daum, Burgun-Schverer, Argy-Rousseau, Baccarat, and many others. Ready, set, bid!