71 - Jean LURÇAT (1892–1966) – SANT-VICENS Workshop (pottery) – PERPIGNAN

Jean LURÇAT (1892–1966) – SANT-VICENS Workshop (pottery) – PERPIGNAN Rare pair of vases, ca. 1959 With an ovate, shouldered body resting on a pedestal The flared truncated conical neck; one vase features a detached side handle, while the other has two handles connecting the two vases in the middle and a small grip. Decorated with motifs of the sun, the moon, and stylized figures Ceramic with polychrome glazes in blue, black, red, yellow, and white on a beige background Signed on the reverse and marked “B.L 24/25” on one of the two H. 43 cm - W. 60 cm Note: Invited in 1951 by Firmin Bauby to the farmhouse at Sant Vicens, near Perpignan, Jean Lurçat discovered glazed terracotta there and made it a major field of exploration until his death in 1966. Working side by side with the local master potters, including François Miro and Gumersind Gomila, the artist created a rich, poetic bestiary featuring owls, suns, and chimeras, rendered in glazes of vibrant hues. Among this prolific body of work, the paired vases undoubtedly represent his most daring formal innovation. Composed of two bodies connected by a tubular bridge and wide handles, these pieces draw inspiration from both pre-Columbian pottery and Mediterranean antiquity. This unique form allows Lurçat to orchestrate a visual dialogue between the two sections, contrasting day with night or humans with mythical creatures. Technically demanding to mold and fire, these double vases transcend the mere role of decorative objects to stand as true modern sculptures. Produced in very limited editions, most often limited to twenty-five pieces, these earthenware pieces are now among the artist’s most sought-after creations.