Vallauris Mid 20th Century Flower Frog, Sea Foam Crater Glaze, 11cm

Details

Description

At Maisons Rares, every piece is personally curated: beautiful historical objects from renowned French designers and manufacturers, as well as … Read more At Maisons Rares, every piece is personally curated: beautiful historical objects from renowned French designers and manufacturers, as well as art from around the world.

This small pique-fleur (flower frog vase) is a charming example of Vallauris studio ceramics from the height of the French Riviera’s post-war pottery boom. Its globular form and extraordinary crater glaze turn a humble functional object into a tactile, sculptural jewel, perfectly in tune with today’s appetite for organic, hand-made mid-century ceramics.

History & Craftsmanship: Vallauris and the Crater Glaze
In the 1950s and 1960s, the small town of Vallauris, on the French Riviera, became the world capital of studio ceramics, drawing Picasso and countless independent potters to its kilns. Alongside the famous names, a wealth of anonymous and small-workshop artisans produced inventive decorative wares, experimenting endlessly with reactive and textural glazes. This flower frog belongs to that rich, exploratory tradition.
Its surface is finished in a dramatic “sea foam” or crater glaze: a thick, reactive white-and-brown glaze that bubbles and pits as it fires, leaving a pockmarked, lunar, volcanic-looking crust. The effect recalls weathered stone or the surface of the moon, and no two examples are ever quite alike.

Design & Aesthetics: Organic Sculpture
The form is a plump, near-spherical body drawn up to a short, gently flared neck and cupped rim. Around the shoulders and body, a scatter of pierced holes, the defining feature of the pique-fleur, hold individual flower stems for sparse, graphic arrangements in the Japanese ikebana spirit. The matte, heavily textured crater glaze in creamy ivory and earthy brown gives the little piece an outsized sculptural presence. It stands just 11 cm (4.3 inches) tall.

Condition & Authenticity
This piece is in perfect vintage condition, with no chips, cracks, losses or restorations. This is notably rare for a flower frog, whose delicate rim and pierced holes are so often damaged by use and cleaning.
Here the rim and every opening are crisp and intact, and the characterful crater glaze is beautifully preserved.
The underside carries a hand-painted “Vallauris” mark.
As with many decorative wares of the period, it is the work of an unrecorded Vallauris artisan and bears no individual maker’s name.
This piece is offered as an anonymous Vallauris period work.
It is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares, attesting to its origin, period, materials and condition as assessed by our curators.

Design Context
Small, tactile and full of character, this pique-fleur is a stylist’s favourite. Show it as a soulful standalone object on a stack of art books, a raw oak shelf, a travertine tray or a pale marble top, where its lunar, crater-glazed surface reads as a miniature sculpture. For the fullest effect, add a few short, rigid dried stems, such as lavender, eucalyptus or poppy heads, through the pierced holes to create a delicate, architectural vignette. Its small scale makes it perfect for layering on a shelf or console among larger objects.

Technical Specifications
Creator / Manufacture: Anonymous Vallauris artisan
Period: Circa 1970 (Vallauris studio ceramics)
Origin: Vallauris, French Riviera, France
Material: Glazed ceramic with a thick, textured reactive “sea foam” / crater glaze; pierced flower-frog body
Dimensions: Height: 11 cm (4.3 in) Width: 10 cm (3.9 in)
Style: Mid-Century Modern / Vallauris studio ceramic / Organic / Wabi-Sabi
Condition: Perfect vintage condition
Authenticity: Hand-painted “Vallauris” mark to the underside; anonymous maker. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares. See less