1930s Saint-Clément Art Deco Orange-Bordeaux Vase, Model 712, 16cm/6.2"

Details

Description

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

This vase is far more than a decorative object: it is a superb example of the ceramic innovations of the 1930s. The marriage of its strict, architectural “melon-rib” form with a deep, lustrous monochrome glaze makes it a highly desirable centrepiece for any collector of Art Deco.

History & Craftsmanship: The Legacy of Saint-Clément
Founded in 1758 in Lorraine, Saint-Clément is one of the oldest and most prestigious faience makers in France. From 1763, under Richard Mique, architect to Queen Marie-Antoinette, it supplied fine faience to the court of Versailles.
Yet it was during the Art Deco period (1920s-1930s) that the manufacture underwent a spectacular avant-garde renaissance, introducing radical geometric forms and highly innovative glazes that rivalled the legendary studios of Longwy and Primavera.

Design & Glaze: Architectural Purity
This spherical vase — referenced as Model 712 in the manufacture’s catalogue — is a quintessential archetype of 1930s modernist design. Its bulbous body is rhythmically structured by an elegant network of lobed ribs, the classic Art Deco motif known as côtes de melon (melon ribs).
Where some examples play on dual-tone contrasts, this vase makes its statement through a single, sumptuous monochrome glaze. A deep, glossy orange deepens to bordeaux and oxblood in the channels between the ribs, pooling darker in the recesses and catching the light along each rounded crest. The effect throws the architectural rhythm of the form into sharp relief — a masterclass in how a pure, reactive monochrome glaze can be more dramatic than any painted decoration.

Condition & Authenticity
The piece is in excellent vintage condition for a century-old faience, the glaze retaining a deep, mirror-like brilliance across the whole body.
The sculptural ribs and the neck are crisp and well preserved.
It is marked in intaglio under the base with the manufacturer’s stamp — “ST CLÉMENT FRANCE” — together with the model number “712”, confirming both maker and reference.

Like all pieces from our collection, this item comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares.

Design Context
This vase has a sculptural, gallery-like presence, and its warm monochrome glow deserves room to breathe. Stage it as a solitary statement piece on a minimalist brushed-metal console, a dark timber shelf, or the pale marble top of a classical commode, where its glossy orange-to-bordeaux surface reads as a jewel of colour — a striking bridge between the classical and the modern.

Technical Specifications
Creator / Manufacturer: Faïencerie de Saint-Clément
Period: Circa 1930 (Art Deco period)
Origin: Lorraine, France
Material: Enamelled faience, monochrome orange-to-bordeaux reactive glaze
Dimensions: Height: 17 cm (6.7 in) Max diameter: 17 cm (6.7 in)
Style: Art Deco / Modernist
Condition: Perfect vintage condition
Authenticity: Intaglio maker’s mark “ST CLÉMENT FRANCE / 712” under the base.
Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares. See less