Antique French Art Nouveau Drip Glaze Stoneware Vase by Gilbert Méténier, 1910

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Two elongated loop handles frame the slender, tapering body of this French art pottery vase, sweeping from just below the … Read more Two elongated loop handles frame the slender, tapering body of this French art pottery vase, sweeping from just below the collar down to the angular, flared foot. Handled vessels of this distinctive profile capture the organic simplicity favored by French ceramic studios during the Art Nouveau period, pairing functional pottery traditions with sculptural clarity. The glaze work features a rich, flowing cascade of deep cobalt and royal blue running down from the upper rim. As the glossy blue slips descend, they break into textured specks and delicate rivulets over a matte, earth-toned ground of mottled sand, warm ochre and pale celadon-grey. This high-fired stoneware technique, often termed grès flammé, produces a subtly variegated surface where the mineral pigments interact organically across the body. Produced in France around 1910, this piece is attributed to Gilbert Méténier, whose workshop in Gannat became renowned for pioneering stoneware glazes and clean, architectural forms. The integrated handles are drawn out with flat strap-like profiles, creating dramatic elongated voids on either side of the tapering core that shift in appearance as the vessel is turned. The underside of the base remains unglazed, exposing the natural fine-grained buff clay body, and displays an incised workshop mark cut cleanly into the base before firing. Standing 25 cm in height, the vase remains stable on its broad circular foot and makes an imposing standalone display piece representative of early twentieth-century French art pottery. See less