34 - Taxile DOAT (1851–1938)

Taxile DOAT (1851–1938) for the Sèvres National Porcelain Manufactory "Music and Dance" Rare coloquinte-shaped vase with a constricted neck and fluted rim, made of white and green glazed porcelain on a background of brown, gray, and ochre-beige glaze drips Original plant-shaped stopper Signed, marked with the location, and dated “Doat Sèvres 1903,” with the number 44 indicating the model H: 33.5 cm Bibliography: -“Art et Décoration,” July–December 1906, similar model, reproduced on page 156 -Alastair Duncan, “The Paris Salon 1895–1914—Volume IV: Ceramics & Glass,” Antique Collector’s Club, 1998, model reproduced on page 182. Exhibition: Paris, Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, 1903. A ceramist at the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres from 1877 to 1905, Taxile Doat contributed to the revival of French ceramics at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Fascinated by high-fire glazes, he conducted extensive research on materials and firing effects, while developing a taste for organic forms inspired by nature. Titled “Music and Dance,” this coloquinte-shaped glazed porcelain vase fully exemplifies his research. Its curved lines are accentuated by beautiful glaze flows in shades of brown, gray, and ochre, contrasting with the white and green surfaces. Signed and dated 1903, a similar piece was exhibited that same year at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, attesting to Doat’s role in the renewal of the ceramic arts of the time. With its organic form and rich glazing, it stands as a remarkable expression of his art.