Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.14016

JÉRÔME MASSIER – Iridescent dish, L’Aurore

Established in Vallauris since the mid-18th century, the Massier family is a dynasty of ceramists closely linked to the town's modern ceramics industry. The family became famous in the mid-19th century thanks to technical innovations such as the metallic luster exemplified by this dish. This technique, virtually lost since the Renaissance, is a complex process that gives the surface of the pieces shimmering reflections. This appearance is achieved through a glaze rich in metallic oxides and a delicate third firing in a reducing atmosphere.

The signature "J. Massier Fils" corresponds to the business name used after the death of Jérôme Massier Sr. by his direct descendants (notably his son Jules-Jérôme Massier, born in 1872). This iridescent dish, created at the turn of the 20th century, is an ode to nature and a tribute to the Land of the Rising Sun. The mountain and seascape is reminiscent of Hiroshige's prints or Hokusai's Views of Mount Fuji. The rim of the dish is particularly inventive and echoes the landscape: the lower part takes the form of waves, while the upper part depicts a rooster, a symbol of dawn and good fortune. The result is a Japanese-inspired dish with a dreamlike design and texture, a vision with the reflections of mother-of-pearl or opal.