For over a century, Lalique has specialised in transforming raw glass into collectible art. In 2021, the French crystal house collaborated with British sculptor Nic Fiddian-Green to reinterpret his renowned Still Water sculpture in crystal.
Standing over ten metres tall on Park Lane, the original Still Water is London’s tallest free-standing bronze. It depicts a horse lowering its head to drink, capturing a moment of quiet trust and vulnerability. The sculpture’s technical achievement lies in its balance: the entire form is supported on the tip of the horse’s muzzle, combining anatomical precision with engineering ingenuity. Lalique’s crystal editions translate the sculpture at a more intimate scale, though no less striking in execution.
Lalique’s Crystal Reinterpretation
Lalique’s crystal editions are produced in five colourways—clear, amber, black, blue, and Amazon Green, introduced in 2024. Each treatment alters how the crystal appears: clear maintains full transparency, amber and blue add tinted colour while remaining translucent, while black creates an opaque surface that reveals form through reflection rather than internal depth.
Lalique’s signature “animal touch” technique captures the texture of the horse’s skin, mane, and musculature, emphasising the material’s depth and transparency while preserving the sculpture’s expression of vulnerability. The process begins with a master model, from which a refractory mould is created. Molten crystal is poured at precisely controlled temperatures—too hot and the detail blurs; too cool and the crystal doesn’t flow properly into the mould’s intricate details. The cooling phase is equally critical: the sculpture must cool gradually over several days to prevent internal stress fractures. Once released from the mould, the sculpture is shaped and refined by hand through successive treatments of polishing, sandblasting, and acid finishing.
The finished sculpture stands 70 centimetres tall and weighs 14 kilograms, with pricing from £54,000 to £59,000 (around $69,000–$75,500) depending on colourway. Smaller 37-centimetre versions range from £2,200 to £3,100 (around $2,800–$4,000).
Artisanal Heritage and Craftsmanship
Founded in 1888, Lalique has built its reputation on technical mastery and creativity, establishing crystal production methods that remain in use today. The company’s principal factory in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace, has been the heart of its crystal production since 1922, where generations of artisans preserve traditional techniques while integrating modern innovation.
Equine forms have long featured in Lalique’s work, notably with Marc Lalique’s 1953 Horse’s Head sculpture—a study in strength and grace. This heritage finds contemporary expression in the collaboration with Nic Fiddian-Green, bringing his equine sculpture into the crystal medium.
A Fusion of Material and Form
Nic Fiddian-Green’s study of the Selene Horse at the British Museum, first undertaken in 1983, shaped his approach to equine form and proportion. The Selene Horse, part of the Parthenon’s east pediment, dates to 438-432 BC and represents one of the finest examples of Classical Greek sculpture. Fiddian-Green spent years studying its musculature, the tension in its neck, and the way ancient sculptors captured movement within stillness. This research became the foundation for his equine work, with Still Water representing a modern interpretation of classical form that emphasises the animal’s quiet power rather than strength in motion.
The sculpture’s translation from Park Lane’s bronze to Lalique’s crystal demonstrates how material choice alters perception without changing form. The drinking horse remains the same—the posture, the balance, the moment of trust. What changes is the material: bronze creates solidity and permanence; crystal introduces fragility and refraction. Each of the five colourways offers a distinct interpretation—from clear crystal’s openness to black’s solid opacity.
