1960s Poterie d'Accolay Emerald Green Ceramic Pitcher Vase

Details

Description

Large Glazed Ceramic Pitcher Vase by Accolay (28 cm / 11 in), Mottled Emerald Green and Sunflower Yellow Glaze (France, … Read more Large Glazed Ceramic Pitcher Vase by Accolay (28 cm / 11 in), Mottled Emerald Green and Sunflower Yellow Glaze (France, c. 1970) - Perfect Condition

At Maisons Rares, every piece is personally curated: beautiful historical objects from famous French designers and manufacturers, and art from the world over.

This large, vivid ceramic pitcher by the celebrated Poteries d'Accolay is a joyful piece of French Mid-Century Modern design. Its bold two-tone glaze, mottled emerald green outside and brilliant sunflower yellow within, and its confident sculptural form make it a striking decorative object and a true collector's name.

History & Craftsmanship: The Poteries d'Accolay
The Poteries d'Accolay were founded in 1945 by four young former pupils of the ceramist Alexandre Kostanda, who settled in the village of Accolay, in the Burgundian Yonne, to create freely.
The workshop's first success came the following year with a commission of ceramic buttons for Christian Dior's revolutionary New Look collection, and from there the collective grew into one of the most inventive and prolific names in postwar French ceramics, producing hundreds of models and selling them, ingeniously, from converted petrol stations along the Nationale 6 to Paris-bound holidaymakers.

Pieces were signed with the collective name Accolay rather than by an individual hand, and the workshop's bold glazes and assured forms are today keenly collected as icons of French Mid-Century Modern design.
This pitcher, incised Accolay beneath the base, is a characteristic and especially vibrant example of that production.

Design & Aesthetics: Jewel Green and Sunlit Yellow
The pitcher rises in a tall, gently waisted silhouette, its ribbed, wheel-thrown body flaring to a wide mouth with a single pulled-pouring spout, balanced by a crisp, angular handle. A row of raised bosses circles the foot, a distinctive sculptural detail that lifts and anchors the whole form.
The glaze is pure Accolay theatre. The exterior is a deep, mottled emerald and malachite green, richly speckled and shifting between light and dark, while the interior and rim are finished in a brilliant, contrasting sunflower yellow. The play of jewel green against sunlit yellow makes the piece read as vividly from across a room as it does in the hand, and gives it a presence well beyond its function.

Condition & Authenticity
This piece is in perfect vintage condition, free from chips, cracks, hairlines, or restoration. The spout, handle, and rim are intact and crisp, and both the green exterior and the yellow interior glazes are glossy and beautifully preserved.
It is incised Accolay on the underside, the collective mark of the celebrated Burgundian workshop.
Like all pieces from our collection, this item comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares.

Design Context
A piece this colourful is made to be a focal point. We recommend displaying it against warm wood, teak or walnut, or a clean white shelf, where its emerald and yellow glaze can sing. It holds its own as a standalone sculptural object, and as a fully glazed vessel it also works beautifully as a vase, dressed with white or yellow blooms, or a few green stems to echo its tones. It brings instant warmth to a mid-century, eclectic, or maximalist interior.

Technical Specifications
Creator / Manufacture: Poteries d'Accolay (Accolay, Yonne, Burgundy)
Period: Circa 1960 to 1970
Origin: Accolay, Burgundy, France
Material: Wheel-thrown and glazed ceramic (faience)
Dimensions: Height 28 cm (11 in) Max width approx. 16 cm (6.3 in)
Style: Mid-Century Modern / French Studio Pottery / Accolay
Condition: Perfect condition, no chips, cracks, or restoration
Authenticity: Incised collective signature Accolay under the base. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares. See less