Steuben Crystal Gazelle Bowl (Sidney Waugh, 1935)

In 1935, a sculptural bowl arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York that would define the direction of Steuben Glass for the next several decades. The Gazelle Bowl, designed by sculptor Sidney Biehler Waugh and produced by Steuben Glass in Corning, New York, was the first major engraved artwork produced for Steuben's new era of collaboration with sculptors and artists. It is a masterpiece of American Art Deco design, and examples remain among the most sought-after pieces in the American decorative arts market.

Sidney Waugh and the Steuben Collaboration

Sidney Biehler Waugh (1904-1963) was an American sculptor who trained in Rome and Paris, winning the Prix de Rome in 1929. He was known for large-scale public sculptures and architectural ornament before he began his collaboration with Steuben Glass in the early 1930s.

Steuben Glass was undergoing a significant transformation in the early 1930s. Under the leadership of Arthur Houghton Jr., the company abandoned its colored glass production to focus exclusively on lead crystal of extraordinary purity and clarity. The vision was to establish Steuben as the premier American luxury glass house, comparable to the great European crystal manufacturers.

The partnership with Waugh was central to this strategy. Rather than producing functional glassware, Steuben would commission sculptors to design pieces that used crystal as the medium for serious artistic expression. The Gazelle Bowl was the first major fruit of this approach.

The Design

The Gazelle Bowl is a blown crystal bowl approximately 6.5 inches in diameter, engraved with a frieze of twelve leaping gazelles in dynamic Art Deco style. The gazelles encircle the bowl in a continuous band, their bodies rendered with muscular elegance that reflects both Waugh's training as a sculptor and the Art Deco aesthetic's interest in stylized natural forms.

The engraving technique used was copper-wheel engraving, a centuries-old craft requiring exceptional skill. The artisans at Steuben's Corning factory cut into the crystal surface with copper wheels of varying sizes to create the layered depth of the gazelle frieze. The lead crystal Steuben used was of such clarity that the engraving reads with a precision impossible in inferior glass.

The bowl was sold at its 1935 debut for $650, which was a significant sum in Depression-era America. The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired a piece immediately, and the Smithsonian's Corning Museum of Glass has an example in its collection.

Cultural Significance

The Gazelle Bowl established the template for what would become Steuben's most prestigious and important product category: engraved art crystal. The model Waugh and Houghton developed, commissioning significant artists to create designs executed in crystal by master craftsmen, produced a body of work that includes some of the most important American luxury objects of the twentieth century.

Presidents have given Steuben pieces as state gifts. The collections of major American museums include Steuben art glass. The Gazelle Bowl is specifically cited repeatedly as the originating work from which this entire tradition descended.

Editions and Availability

The Gazelle Bowl was produced in editions over several decades. Steuben continued to offer it for sale, and by 2004 the retail price had reached $32,000, an extraordinary appreciation from the 1935 debut price.

For collectors, the relevant distinctions are:

Vintage pre-war examples (1935-1940s): The earliest production, with the most historical significance. These carry the highest premiums.

Mid-century production: Later examples are still genuine Steuben Gazelle Bowls, though they lack the immediate historical connection of the first production runs.

Documentation: Steuben pieces with original boxes, documentation, or provenance from significant collections carry additional premiums.

Condition: Lead crystal is vulnerable to chips, scratches, and surface damage. The engraving itself can be damaged by improper cleaning or handling. Pristine examples are significantly more valuable than those with condition issues.

Value in the Current Market

Auction records at Christie's, Sotheby's, and specialized decorative arts houses provide the most reliable current market data. The Steuben art glass market has softened from its peak but remains active for significant pieces like the Gazelle Bowl.

Why It Endures

The Gazelle Bowl endures because it is genuinely excellent. The design is timeless enough that it was in continuous production for decades, which speaks to its fundamental aesthetic strength. The craftsmanship is extraordinary in any era of production. And its historical position as the inaugural piece of one of America's great luxury craft traditions gives it meaning that transcends the object itself.

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