In 1928, René Lalique designed the decorative panels Merles et Raisins in white moulded pressed glass with a silver-coloured background cast white pressed glass on silver background to decorate the Cuban mahogany woodwork of the Presidential Wagon in the famous Orient Express. The pattern Merles et Raisins revives a motif synonymous with elegance and the "Art de Vivre", depicting a charming design of blackbirds pecking at tiny bunches of grapes. The fineness of the motif, enhanced by the purity of the crystal brings play of light giving life and movement to the piece. Trained as a jeweler at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris in the late 1880's, Rene Lalique gained recognition as an independent designer for some of the era's great jewelry houses including Cartier and Boucheron. Eventually, he turned to glassmaking, and his techniques were a triumph for the Art Deco movement. Every piece of Lalique is finely detailed and produced by hand in Alsace, France.