French Ceramic Blue and Black Glazed Vase

French ceramic blue and black glazed vase by Alain Maunier, Vallauris – 1970's. Typical of Alain Maunier's creations, this blue enamelled vase is decorated with black geometric patterns. Comparable to the work of Jacques Blin, it is a beautiful piece. Engraved with the mention "A.Maunier Vallauris".

An important centre of French ceramics since Antiquity, Vallauris, located 6km from Antibes on the French Riviera, experienced a major boom at the end of the 19th century thanks to the Massier family of ceramists. At the end of the second world war, painters, sculptors and masters of ceramics settled in Vallauris, starting with Picasso in 1948. He perfected his ceramic technique at the Madoura workshop with Suzanne Ramié.

Chagall, Matisse, Cocteau, Miro, Braque, Rouault, Fernand Léger, who came to stay in Vallauris, created a stir in this creative centre. The artistic production with its abstract and geometric decorations, its new textures and its rich modern glazes, will definitively replace the traditional pottery. Alain Maunier, who took over the Massier family's workshop, created a very characteristic ceramic based on blue tones and black geometric patterns.