Inventory Number C0238
Size 5.875" H x 4.75" W
Material Earthenware
Period Art Nouveau
Country of Origin France
Year Made 1889
Condition Excellent
Massier visited Valencia and Manises in the early 1880s to study Hispano-Moresque ceramics. Examples seen at that time may have inspired the decoration of this vase. The allover pattern, consisting of stylized sunflowers, petals, and vines, is executed in a golden luster glaze on a paler gold background. The body twist creates a sense of dynamism, conveys the plasticity of clay, and allows the decoration to move in three dimensions. This vase was exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889. It was here that Massier unveiled his lusterware to an international audience and was awarded a gold medal for his achievement.
Marks: Painted artist's initials, Golfe Juan, 1889.
