Reclining Rabbit in Cream Crackle-Glazed Earthenware by Charles Lemanceau for Saint-Clément, France, 1930s

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Charles Lemanceau (1905–1980) was a French sculptor and ceramicist known particularly for his Art Deco stoneware, porcelain, and crackle-glazed earthenware … Read more Charles Lemanceau (1905–1980) was a French sculptor and ceramicist known particularly for his Art Deco stoneware, porcelain, and crackle-glazed earthenware bestiary, primarily produced at the Saint-Clément factory.

A graduate of the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in 1923, he began working that same year for the Primavera workshops at Printemps department store, then for the Saint-Clément and Sainte-Radegonde earthenware factories. In 1925, he exhibited at the Salon d'Automne alongside Le Corbusier, Robert Mallet-Stevens, Henri Matisse, and Jean Dunand. A specialist in animal sculpture, he is one of the most representative sculptors of the French Art Deco period.

This reclining rabbit, head down, front paws tucked under its body, illustrates Lemanceau's mastery of volume synthesis: the form is reduced to its essential masses—a continuously arched back, a spherical head, and ears folded back—devoid of any anecdotal detail. The surface treatment in cream-colored crackled glazed earthenware, with its thin, glossy finish, is characteristic of Saint-Clément production from this period. The fine, regular crackling is particularly visible in the recessed areas.

This piece is identified as model no. 23 in the 1930 Manufrance catalog, distributed by Manufrance from 1931 onwards. It is reproduced in two reference works: *Les Craquelés Art Déco* by Alain Hardy and Bruno Giardi (Penthesilia, 2009), page 36, and in the catalog *150 White Keramische Dieren* (Antwerp exhibition, 1993), page 78. The piece was also featured in the exhibition *1925-2025. Cent ans d'Art déco* at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (October 22, 2025 – April 26, 2026).

Trace of adhesive under the base, nature undetermined. Dimensions: 32 × 12 × 16 cm; 1.1 kg.

Sculptors and manufacturers in affinity: Édouard-Marcel Sandoz, François Pompon, Marcel Renard (French Art Deco animal sculpture); earthenware factories of Sainte-Radegonde, Lunéville, Saint-Clément (French crackled earthenware from the 1920s–1930s). I have official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs,
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