Zeila Panther Lalique in black crystal

"Animals were a major source of inspiration for René Lalique, featuring frequently in his jewellery, and subsequently in his glass creations. His son, Marc Lalique, continued the tradition, with crystal animals such as the Cockerel and the Horse's head.

When Marc Lalique died in 1977, his daughter Marie-Claude took over the business. Like her father and grandfather before her, she continued to design animal subjects and introduced wild animals into the Lalique universe after a personal experience of an African safari.

The Bamara lion and the Zeila panther feature among her African animal creations. The crystal panther has dense spotted fur and its posture indicates that it is about to pounce on a prey. Zeila is the name of a port in Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden."

Zeila Panther | Musée Lalique (musee-lalique.com)