Dragonfly Mascot – Sabino
Sabino also made car mascots such as this dragonfly to adorn the radiators of cars from the art deco period. Glass mascots on cars became popular in the 1920s.
Marius Sabino was born in Sicily in 1878, but moved to France with his family when he was young. He attended the L’Ecole National des Arts Decoratifs and the Beaux Arts de Paris and became exposed to electricity. He was interested in how electricity would affect glass creation. In 1925, he created an opalescent glass with a blue tint. He made special lighting for the SS Île de France in 1927, an art deco styled ship which preceded the Normandie.
He gave control of his company to his nephew in 1939 and Marius Sabino passed away in 1961. In 1978 the company and all of its assets were sold to American Richard Choucroun who continued to have the glass manufactured in France but all pieces were exported to the USA. Because all of the original molds, equipment and factory are still in use, the modern pieces are not considered reproductions as they have been continuously produced.