Featured Tiny French Pottery Vase

Discussion in 'Pottery, Glass, and Porcelain' started by quirkygirl, Sep 20, 2020.

  1. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Hello! or Bonjour! as it turns out that everything I bought from the thrift yesterday was from France :)

    Saw this darling little (just over 3½" or 9.2 cm), signed pottery vase ... and the price was right ;) for buying something that I knew nothing about, but could research by the marks. Has a boo-boo, but it's very hard to see when it's sitting upright. Was successful in finding out that the marks indicate that it is from Clement Massier from the Golfe-Juan region of France.

    While researching, the name came up on this forum in a past post and there was mention about there being fakes of this type of pottery.

    Now I'm full of questions .....

    I'm hoping that there might be someone here who could offer assistance in ascertaining whether this is a genuine vase from Clement Massier or not.

    Anyone know what the foliage is from? I can't decide if they are nuts or berries hanging from the stems. :confused: They're dark reddish-brown, so could be either in my mind.

    What does the "AM", which is also written on the base stand for? I've figured out that two of the impressed words are Golfe and Juan but not sure about the third shortest one ... looks like "XY" to me, but could it be "AM" as well? (now that I've added the close-up photo of the base, it does look like (AM) is the smallest impressed mark after all.

    Enough questions for now ... here's the pics
    Thanks for looking and for any help you can provide.

    P1160347(1)(1).jpg P1160348(1)(1).jpg P1160349(1)(1).jpg P1160353(1)(1).jpg
     
  2. stracci

    stracci Well-Known Member

    I would've grabbed this in a heartbeat!
    Great find!
     
  3. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Thank you, stracci! :) You've answered another of my questions that I had but didn't type out ... whether this decoration would be considered "Art Nouveau" or not.
     
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  4. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    That's odd. :confused:
    stracci's quote in my reply is not what was shown when I hit "reply"
     
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  5. stracci

    stracci Well-Known Member

    Yes, I had typed that I felt it was Art Nouveau, just based on the shape and decoration, but I saw in your original post that you had done research already so I figured my answer was redundant! I changed my answer at the last minute.
    It's gorgeous. I would've done backflips in the thrift store!
     
  6. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Bonjour quirky.:happy: Can't help, other than say it is gorgeous, and yes to Art Nouveau.
     
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  7. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Had I known what any of the marks on the base meant, I might have done backflips (in my mind, only) as well:happy: As it was, I thought it was far too pretty and well decorated, to be left sitting there. I put down the souvenir vase from Lyon (which was only 50 cents) to choose this. Good choice, that. :rolleyes:
     
  8. janettekay

    janettekay Well-Known Member

    Love it !!!! Good job!
     
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  9. mmarco102

    mmarco102 Well-Known Member

    Having several pieces of Clement Massier, And researching them extensively, I can say with confidence that this is not signed by the master himself. Yes there are many fakes out there as you can see on ebay. Some are pathetic. This is not to say that your item is not from another within the Massier family members. It is lovely.

    The Massier family have been ceramists, potters and sculpturs in clay and porcelain since 1707.

    After a break of three generations, in 2007 Cédric started as a ceramique artist returning the name of Massier to the world of ceramics and continues their family tradition by being a leader in innovations ceramic.

    http://majolicasociety.com/wp-conte...rview-of-Clement-Massier-by-Jason-Jacques.pdf


    http://majolicasociety.com/massier/



    Here is one of my own...


    EF31FE6C-8840-4F35-9388-0C6673238D1A.jpeg 8ECE58AE-B389-426C-A2F5-32D53208EE78.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2020
  10. verybrad

    verybrad Well-Known Member

    No reason to believe this is not real. Nice find! Looks a bit like woodbine, though it usually has more berries in a cluster.
     
  11. mmarco102

    mmarco102 Well-Known Member

    Last edited: Sep 20, 2020
    quirkygirl likes this.
  12. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    Lovely, Quirky! Would have grabbed that in a heartbeat. Almost regardless of price! ;)

    Thanks for the plant name, Brad! I've been trying to think of it since my first look!
     
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  13. mmarco102

    mmarco102 Well-Known Member

    Yes, woodbine does look like a perfect match. Also known as Virginia creeper, native to the North America Hemisphere. Interesting....
     
  14. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    I actually hadn't considered that it could be signed my Clement himself ... I think the error in interpretation lies in how I worded the question in my original post. I'm unfamiliar with this make of pottery and assumed that it was a factory of sorts, not just a one man operation (as some studio pottery places are) ... where all the pieces they produce within a time frame are signed similarly.

    Not sure I'm explaining my thoughts clearly ...

    Was there only one man, Clement Massier, creating and decorating pots at this place or was it a factory with several decorators creating (and signing) the pieces?
     
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  15. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Thanks, Brad :) Woodbine is related to the Virginia Creeper that I keep pulling off the wall in our backyard, and is what first came to mind when I saw those leaves. That certainly could be what the decorator was painting.
     
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  16. JB Miller

    JB Miller Well-Known Member

    According to the book 'Art Nouveau Ceramics' by Paul Arthur your Clement Massier vase was made between 1900-1901. 'MCM' was used between 1900-1901 in remembrance of his departed wife, Mary. 'A.M.' stands for Alpes-Maritimes.
     
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  17. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

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  18. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Thank you! :) I thought of you when posting it and figured you would like it because it's matte green (mostly).
     
  19. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Thank you, thank you, thank you! :) Your post explains three of the mysteries ... what the "MCM" stood for, the time frame this was made, and what the "A.M." was.
     
  20. quirkygirl

    quirkygirl likes pretty old things

    Hmmmm .... I should probably go back there today and see if they put out any more pretty things from France. Aside from this vase, I picked up 3 Baccarat decanters (had to ... they were only $4/ea.), a Quimper egg cup, and some L'occitaine soap (50 cents each) :D
     
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