12 August 2009, the press service of the museum spread the message:

The State Hermitage informs

From May 3 till August 30, 2009, Emile Galle. Nature and Symbolism - Influence of Japan exhibition dedicated to the distinguished French artist Emile Gallet was opened in the Georges de la Tour Museum in a small town of Vic-sur-Seille (France). The State Hermitage presented a number of exhibits for the exhibition; among them there are two coupled vases decorated with images of orchids.

22 July 2009 a sizable crack was noticed on one of those vases that were in the display case at the exhibition in the Georges de la Tour Museum.

The State Hermitage found out about this fact only on August 10th from the reports of mass media. Respective report was sent to the French party immediately.

We should point out that integrity of the works presented for the exhibition was checked both by restorers of glass and by restorers of precious metals of the Hermitage before they were sent to France. In accordance with the international rules the same procedure was conducted when the receiving party accepted the exhibits. They were examined with a view to their integrity that did not cause any concerns of the French and the Hermitage specialists.

At present urgent attendance of the Hermitage restorer to Vic-sur-Seille is being prepared in order to assess the condition of the vase and the extent of damage. It is too early to draw any conclusions on the reasons of the incident. It will only be possible after thorough examination of the vase (after the display case is opened).

In any case after the exhibit returns to St Petersburg it will come to hand of the Department of Scientific Restoration and Conservation of the State Hermitage. Later on the vase shall take its place in the exhibition of the museum.

The State Hermitage is extremely surprised by the position of the French party that failed to notify the museum about the incident in due time but made it a property of mass media before the Hermitage was informed.

Suchlike position of the French party puts in doubt possible realization of a number of projects that are being planned for 2010, announced as the year of Russia in France.

Vase decorated with Orchids
Vase: Nancy, Emile Gallet.
Mount: Paris, Bapst and Falize.

The vase and a couple to it were presented to Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna during their visit to Paris in 1896. The vases were made several years before the visit of the Russian Imperial couple to Paris and initially, most probably, they were not intended for a diplomatic gift.

The vase relates to unique works of Emile Gallet that were called ‘speaking glassware’. Poetic lines of the artist’s favourite poets supplemented decoration of such articles. As a rule the poems are engraved on the body of the article with the help of a needle in a form of thin hardly visible lines. Emile Gallet wrote that the poems are not called to impose specific reading of the decoration on a viewer but rather suggest to ponder over it and to expand possible interpretations of the depicted image to the maximum.

The Hermitage vase is decorated with orchids the origin of which is considered to be the Philippines. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries they were one of the most popular hothouse flowers in Europe.

Silver partially gilded mount frames created by one of the leading jewellers of Paris L. Falize but lost in 1917 played a significant role in decorative design of the vases. Bapst and Falize firm was one of the leading jewellery firms of France at the end of the 19th century and more than once Emile Gallet cooperated with it when creating mount frames for his articles.

Both vases were repeatedly exhibited inside the country as well as abroad.