Celadon Bowl

This simple bowl, off-white with minimal lines of black glaze, exemplifies the abandonment of highly decorative trimmings in Emile Decoeur’s works beginning in the 1920s. Committing himself to “purity and sobriety” in his work, Decoeur attempted to give increased prominence to form; he began to sketch the outlines of his works before crafting them, indicating his increasing concentration upon shape above all else. Decoeur’s simplicity further manifested itself in the use of monochrome – often black and white – color schemes. This bowl also indicates the influence of Eastern ceramics on Decoeur, specifically early Chinese pottery from the Tang, Sung, and Yuan dynasties.