Inventory Number LEL058
Size 2.75" H x 5" W
Material Earthenware
Period Symbolist
Country of Origin France
Year Made c. 1900
Status Available
Condition minor conservation
Asymmetrical and hand-formed, this luminous bowl alludes to the Japanese tea ceremony aesthetic that was beloved of fin de siécle French ceramists. Etched beneath the luster glaze is an arrangement of sea urchins against a background of microscopic diatoms. It is tempting to imagine a fashionable lady returning with this treasure from a winter stay on the Cote d'Azur so she would have a lovely vessel to store balls of sticky opium.
Marks: Signed Clément Massier Golfe Juan, AM, on the base.
