Art Deco Spinning-Top Vase in Polychrome Glazed Earthenware by Charles Catteau for Boch Frères Kéramis, 1921

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Boch frères kéramis, founded in la louvière in 1841, established itself in the 1920s as one of the most active … Read more Boch frères kéramis, founded in la louvière in 1841, established itself in the 1920s as one of the most active belgian manufacturers in the renewal of art deco ceramic decoration, under the leadership of charles catteau, director of the design workshop from 1907 to 1946. Trained at the école nationale de céramique in sèvres and later working at the nymphenburg factory, catteau designed hundreds of patterns for kéramis, mastering color chemistry and the technique of high-fire underglaze painting.

the factory was awarded a gold medal at the international exhibition of decorative arts in paris in 1925 and distributed its creations through the art workshops of major parisian department stores—la maîtrise, pomone, and primavera.

the spinning top shape—a very spherical body, a short, cylindrical neck with a slightly flared opening, and a gadrooned foot—is covered with a white enamel onto which the d.682 decoration is applied using underglaze painting and fired at high temperature. The composition is divided into two distinct registers: on the body, stylized bouquets of dahlias with yellow and burgundy petals and green foliage on a black background, rendered in flat areas outlined in black; between the bouquets, vertical black and white stripes on a bright yellow background structure the surface. At the neck, a frieze of black scallops punctuated with burgundy dots on a white background. The foot repeats the same scalloped motif. The palette—chrome yellow, black, burgundy, and green—and the graphic treatment of the floral decoration are characteristic of kéramis production from the early 1920s.

the d.682 design, dated 1921 and described as a "polychrome decoration of dahlia stems, leaves, and flowers," is attributed to charles catteau, a workshop specializing in decorative pottery, and listed as rare in the reference catalog: marc pairon, art deco ceramics made in belgium, fondation charles catteau, 2006.

the base bears the handwritten number "d.682 / h."—the monogram h. Likely designates the decorator, whose identity has not been definitively established; the manufacturer's stamp is missing or worn away.

very good condition. Height: 17 cm; width: 14 cm; diameter at the rim: 6 cm; weight: 650 g. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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