Getting a child to look up from their phone in an antique shop is, objectively, harder than most things in life. And yet, last week on Portobello Road in London, I managed it, albeit briefly.
I was there with my 12 year old daughter Darcy and my mother. Three generations of women, two of whom were actively interested in what was around them. Darcy had her phone (yes, I was a foolish parent who let her have one too early). Mum and I had a shared appreciation for antiques and a determination not to let her scroll through the entire visit.
The strategy, when it arrived, was simple. Don't show her something she would find boring. Don't point at a piece of heavily decorated Victorian china and expect enthusiasm. Find something that would actually appeal to her eye.
I found a piece of Lalique. Uncoloured, simple, clean lines and passing the aesthetic test for Generation Alpha. Lalique isn't entirely 'clean girl' but not too ornate to completely isolate my daughter.
What is Lalique glass?
Lalique is a French luxury glassware house founded by René Lalique in the early twentieth century. It began in jewellery and moved into glass, and the name now stands for some of the most collectable decorative glass in the world.
What makes it visually distinctive, and frankly immediately appealing to me, is its frosted, almost milky quality. Lalique has clean lines, no fussy ornamentation and I believe it has restraint that holds up across decades. Not obviously old, but the excellent quality is very obvious.
"Come and look at this," I asked my daughter. She came and looked.
How do you identify Lalique glass?
By the end of our walk around the shop, past hundreds of pieces in every colour, material and era, Darcy could identify a Lalique independently. Here is what she was learning to notice, and what you can look for too.
The frosting is the first clue. Lalique often combines clear and satin frosted glass in the same piece, so the design catches light in two different ways. That contrast between polished and matte is a signature.
The subject matter is the second. René Lalique drew constantly from nature and the female form. Birds, fish, foliage, flowing figures. If a piece feels sculptural rather than merely decorated, that is a good sign you are looking in the right direction.
The weight and clarity are the third. Genuine Lalique feels substantial in the hand, with crisp moulding and no muddy detail. Cheaper imitations tend to feel light and soft edged by comparison.
And finally, the signature. Most authentic pieces carry a moulded or engraved "Lalique" mark, sometimes with "France" and, on older examples, "R. Lalique." A mark alone does not guarantee authenticity, but its absence on a piece claiming to be Lalique is worth questioning.
None of that is complicated. It is simply a matter of knowing what to look at, which is the whole point of what happened next.
Antiques reward looking
This day of spotting Lalique reminded me of teaching Darcy to identify herbs in the garden when she was five. Sage, rosemary, borage and thyme, she had it down. I'm not convinced all the knowledge stuck long term, but that isn't really the point. For a window of time she had a framework for looking at something and understanding what she was seeing.
This is what antiques do particularly well as a subject. They reward looking as you cannot develop an eye for them passively. You have to actually pay attention, to proportion, to material, to the way something is made. It is a discipline disguised as a hobby, and the skill transfers elsewhere. Someone who has learned to spot quality in a piece of frosted French glass will apply the same instinct elsewhere, so it's no coincidence that people with an interest in antiques tend to hold strong opinions about design more broadly.
Why teaching this matters now
There is a reasonable argument that this education is more useful now than it has ever been. Young people are growing up surrounded by objects made to be replaced. Furniture that won't survive a house move and clothes that won't survive a season. Teaching them to recognise the alternative isn't simply nostalgia or sustainable. Once you develop an eye for quality it's difficult to switch off. Once you know cashmere by touch, there's no going back.
None of this requires turning every Saturday into a seminar. But maybe just occasionally, pointing at something and saying: look at this. Here is why it's good. See it? And for once my Gen Alpha angel saw it and she recognised quality and not just a label or brand.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lalique glass known for?
Lalique is a French glassware house founded by René Lalique. It is known for frosted, satin finished glass that combines clear and matte surfaces, with sculptural designs drawn from nature, birds, fish and the female form.
How can you tell if glass is real Lalique?
Look for the combination of clear and frosted glass, crisp and substantial moulding, nature or figure based designs, and a moulded or engraved "Lalique" signature, sometimes with "France" or, on older pieces, "R. Lalique."
Is Lalique glass valuable?
Value varies widely by age, rarity and condition. Early René Lalique pieces and rare designs can command high prices at auction, while later production items are more accessible for new collectors.
Is Lalique a good place for beginners to start collecting?
Yes. Its visual style is consistent and recognisable, which makes it one of the easier makers to learn to identify by eye, a good confidence builder for anyone new to antiques.
How do I get a child interested in antiques?
Start with something visually appealing rather than something you think they should like. Give them one maker or one material to identify, and let them find examples themselves. The sense of recognition is what holds their attention.
If you would like something worth looking at twice, there is glassware, ceramics, metalware and vintage art waiting over in the collections here.
Anna x
Founder of The Blue Loft
