BOCH FRERES KERAMIS - CHARLES CATTEAU – Vase Stylised Leaves & Fruit - c. 1923
Vase bursiforme designed by Charles Catteau and made for the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris from which the name Art Deco is derived. Polychrome repetitive decoration of stylised flowers and leaves executed by the Atelier de Fantaisie at Boch Frères Keramis. The collar and base are enhanced by a black ribbon with red-brown dots. From the collar to the shoulder, six clusters of stylised berries, topped with leaves and linked to the base by two vertical black fillets, descend. Separating the clusters of berries from each other is a vertical register connecting the neck to the base, decorated with leaves and stylised berries. The pattern is a leaf design, that also looks like a banana tree. Reminiscent of a Josephine Baker costume of the period which influenced the decorative fashion of the time. Cracked enamels on fine earthenware.
PRODUCT INFO
Charles Catteau (1880-1966) was a Franch painter, designer, and ceramicist living in Belgium. He is best known for his Art Deco ceramics, which he created during his time at the Boch Frères Keramis pottery in La Louvière, Belgium.
Catteau began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice at the Royal Sèvres Porcelain Factory in France. In 1903, he moved to Belgium and began working at Boch Frères Keramis, where he would spend most of his career. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the head of the ceramics department in 1907.
Catteau's designs were influenced by a wide range of sources, including Japanese art, ancient Greek pottery, and the contemporary Art Deco style. His work is characterized by bold colors, geometric shapes, and stylized floral and animal motifs.
Catteau's ceramics were exhibited at the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris, where they received widespread acclaim. Today, his work is highly sought after by collectors and is featured in museum collections around the world.
Boch Frères was a Belgian ceramics manufacturer founded in 1748 by Jean-François Boch in Luxembourg. The company later moved to La Louvière, Belgium, where it became known for its production of high-quality ceramics.
In the early 20th century, Boch Frères Keramis (as it was then known) began producing Art Deco ceramics, under the artistic direction of Charles Catteau. Catteau's designs were characterized by their bold use of color, intricate patterns, and exotic motifs, and were highly sought after in the 1920s and 1930s.
Boch Frères Keramis continued to produce ceramics throughout the 20th century, including more modern designs in the 1950s and 1960s. The company merged with another ceramics manufacturer, Royal Sphinx, in 1971 to form Boch Royal Sphinx. The company continued to produce ceramics until 2011, when it was acquired by a French ceramics company and production ceased in Belgium. However, the Boch Frères Keramis factory building still stands in La Louvière and is now used as a cultural center.
Form, design and date identified in book Art Deco Ceramics - Charles Catteau - Marc Pairon - Fondation Charles Catteau, p.648 and with picture of the same vase page 221.
Several pictures p.62 and p.63, book Charles Catteau, La Louvière, formes & techniques.
This vase belongs to several private collections.
SIGNATURE/MARKS:
Signed Charles Catteau, stamp BFK: Boch Frères Keramis, stamp D746 refers to the design 746, engraved 951 refers to form 951
DATE:
1923, decor 746 was conceived and produced in 1923, 2 years before the Paris expo
MATERIAL:
Craquelé: cracked enamels on fine earthenware.
ORIGIN:
Belgium, La Louvière
SIZE:
49cm high /top opening: 6,5 cm – 19,29 inch/2,56 inch
WEIGHT:
6,35 kg – 14,33 lb
CONDITION:
MINT
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