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Thistle Skillet, Étienne Daniel, Vallauris
€59Bid from €53.10
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ProfessionalProduct description
In the tremendous revival that Vallauris experienced after the Second World War, a generation of potters turned the domestic object into a true field of expression. Étienne Daniel belongs to this story. A ceramist less publicized today than the great figures of Vallauris, his work also remains more difficult to document: published biographical elements are scarce, and part of his production is not systematically signed. Nevertheless, his name is well-listed in the documentation dedicated to Vallauris workshops. Above all, he leaves behind a motif that has become immediately recognizable: the thistle. From the 1950s to the 1970s, this motif reappeared on his platters, plates, bowls, and skillet-pots, to the point of constituting a true aesthetic signature. Documented pieces bear the initials D.E., while others are simply marked "décor main" (hand-decorated) or "Vallauris." This large skillet-pot fully belongs to this universe. The clay is generously thrown and left exposed on the underside, where concentric circles still tell the story of the potter's hand. The light, almost ivory enamel is enlivened by a beautiful brown speckling that gives it the mineral depth characteristic of post-war Vallauris ceramics. Inside, two large stylized thistles unfurl. The thorny leaves, deeply drawn and outlined in brown, are covered in an intense turquoise green. The flowers blend powdery pink, mauve, and blue-violet. The decoration does not seek botanical precision: it interprets the plant, magnifies it, and plays with its forms. The enamels concentrate in the reliefs, vary with firing, and give the design that vibrancy never found in industrial decoration. The exterior complements the interior decoration with broad vertical strokes of green enamel, freely applied to the speckled surface. The long handle, slightly raised and finished with a touch of turquoise, balances the round mass of the skillet-pot. Its perforated end reminds us that these beautiful pieces could also be hung and contribute to the kitchen's decor. This is precisely what makes Étienne Daniel's ceramics interesting: they stand at the intersection of the useful and the decorative. The skillet-pot retains the memory of a familiar utensil, but the craftsmanship of the clay, the enamels, and especially this spectacular thistle transform it into an object of presence. Approximately 20 cm in diameter and 7 cm in height, excluding handle length. The proportions are very close to a documented Étienne Daniel thistle skillet-pot measuring 21.5 cm in diameter and 33 cm with its handle. A very beautiful 20th-century French ceramic piece, expressive without being ostentatious, embodying all that makes Vallauris charming: the earth, the fire, the color, and the freedom of gesture.
Additional details:
- Brand: Étienne Daniel
- Designer: Étienne Daniel
- Style: Vallauris
- Material: Terre
- Material: Émail
- Colour: ivoire
- Colour: brun
- Colour: vert turquoise
- Colour: rose poudré
- Colour: mauve
- Colour: bleu-violet
- Period: 1950s-1970s
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsGreenMaterialCeramic
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ProfessionalSaint symphorien des bois, FranceOn Whoppah since August 2026 • 0 sales