Ceramic Easter Egg from Atelier Madoura, 1960s

Vintage ceramic egg figure from Atelier Madoura, Vallauris, France (circa 1960s). This egg-sized ceramic figure is painted with a stylised suited man with a frown on his face. It is a simply but elegantly painted work with many charms and would certainly be a conversation piece for your home or work place. It was created in the Madoura pottery which Picasso made famous. In good vintage condition, the piece is unsigned. Please see the photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video of the ceramic may be provided. This gallery holds another similar figure – its pair – and they would be ideal as a set. This is the smaller egg of the two. About Atelier Madoura : Picasso became quickly enamoured with the ceramics being produced by L’atelier Madoura and asked to be introduced to Georges and Suzanne Ramié, the owners of the pottery studio. Suzanne Ramié had played a pivotal role in the revival of traditional pottery from the South of France, and made a name for herself with innovative designs based on her reinterpretations of their traditional forms and glazes. The Ramiés invited Picasso to their Madoura Pottery workshop, where they introduced him to various techniques and Picasso created three small sculptures in clay (a faun’s head and two bulls) which he left to dry and bake. According to Georges Ramié, when he and his wife returned to see the works and continue their visit, Picasso had vanished without a trace. Twelve months later, the artist returned, unexpectedly and completely unannounced, to see how the pieces had turned out. He was shown the sculptures, and delighted, he immediately asked when he could “get back to work.” The Ramié’s agreed to set aside an area of the workshop where he would begin producing his own ceramics, ushering in one of the most prolific periods of his career; in just over two decades, Picasso would create over 3,500 works in clay. It is of note that after his death, every object in his estate was photographed, other than his ceramics, of which there were many; due to the second-class status traditionally accorded to the art of pottery they were for a long time a source of derision and embarrassment for much of the art world. The Atelier Madoura however became world famous and known for inspiring Picasso to create such amazing works. Dimensions : H 8.5 cm / 3.3” W 6.5 cm / 2.6”