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Decorative Faience Plate – Grotesque with Mask in the Moustiers Style – 20th Century
€55Bid from €49.50
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ProfessionalProduct description
Sometimes, all it takes is a small figure to transform a plate into an entire universe. At the center of this beautiful faience plate appears a whimsical figure. Dressed in a green and ocher costume, wearing a wide floral hat, he seems to advance with a dancing step while presenting a mask in his hand. Around him, flowers, foliage, and an insect compose a joyful, almost theatrical decor. This iconography is part of the great tradition of Moustiers grotesque decorations, which appeared and developed in the 18th century. The faience makers abandoned overly staid compositions to populate their pieces with extravagant characters, musicians, dancers, actors, animals, insects, and imaginary plants. Among the great names associated with this tradition is Joseph Olérys, whose work greatly contributed to the renown of Moustiers and the dissemination of these witty scenes. The grotesques then became true little spectacles painted on faience. This plate is a later interpretation, from the 20th century, in the style of antique Moustiers faience. The decoration is particularly generous. The central figure is surrounded by an almost symmetrical botanical composition. Large ocher-yellow flowers, deep green foliage, floral buds, stylized plants, and a small insect occupy the wide rim. The palette, deliberately limited to green, ocher-yellow, and brown, reinforces its traditional character and perfectly highlights the design against the slightly cream-white background of the faience. The widely scalloped edge is highlighted by several painted lines that follow each of its curves. This succession of lines gives a lot of rhythm to the whole and truly transforms the plate into a decorative object. Diameter approximately 25 cm. The reverse side reveals the firing foot rim as well as a small green painted mark. No attribution to a specific manufacturer is made. A particularly decorative plate, to display on a stand or hang on the wall, alone or among a collection of French faience. And then there remains this character at the center, mask in hand, as if caught in the middle of a performance that began centuries ago. A lovely nod to this grotesque tradition where Moustiers faience makers introduced theater, humor, and fantasy into table arts.
Additional details:
- Brand: Moustiers
- Style: Moustiers
- Style: Grotesque
- Material: Faïence
- Colour: ocre
- Colour: jaune-ocre
- Colour: brun
- Period: XXe siècle
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsCreme, White, Green
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About this seller
ProfessionalSaint symphorien des bois, FranceOn Whoppah since August 2026 • 0 sales