Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.13576

Gallé for l'Escalier de Cristal, Ceramic covered pot adorned with a Foo dog on the lid taking the traditional shape of Chinese perfume burner, circa 1870

This ceramic pot with a lid takes the shape of a traditionnal Chinese perfume burner without having the function as it is not pierced. It was made by Charles Gallé (1818 – 1902) or his son Emile (1846 – 1904) for the maison l'Escalier de Cristal in the second half of the 19th century and more precisely in the 1870's as indicates a torn label under a similar perfume burner on which we can read the names Pannier et Lahoche and the address of the store from 1872.

We can think this ceramic imitating a perfume burner Nous pouvons was made by Gallé as a similar model, with an identical shape but a different decor, is indexed in the Emile Gallé collection of the Musée d'Orsay, and bearing his signature. Emile Gallé was making ceramics with his father Charles Gallé for the Saint-Clément earthenware factory from 1864 and was part of the many artists that have made models for the maison l'Escalier de Cristal. Thus, it seems very liekly that his father could have done it too.

Our ceramic, by its decor, testifies the taste for the Chinese art and the way they have inspired the creation of European art objects. Indeed, as for many artists, the Chinese esthetic has marked the production of l'Escalier de Cristal. Thus, the Parisian artists have been asked by the store to produce works in the Chinese style by intrepeting the models and adapting them to the European taste.
Our perfume burner rests on three feet. The belly is adorned with a frieze, as the birth of the neck on which we can see a Ruyi frieze. The neck is adorned with a Ba gua trigram - fundamental philosophical concept of the Old China - and flanked with two curved handles. The lid takes the shaped of Foo dog.