Tag Archives: Boch Freres pottery

Charles Catteau – Art Deco ceramics master

Art Deco vase by Charles Catteau

 

Franco-Belgian ceramist Charles Catteau could be regarded as one of the most versatile ceramic artists of his generation, especially for the style of Art Deco. Catteau advanced the forms, techniques and decoration of modern ceramics, creating an exceptionally original, new and decorative genre.

Hired as a ceramic decorator in Ecole Nationale de Sèvres from 1903 to 1904, he began producing designs that were rather traditional, based on the observation of nature, and showing the influence of Japonism, characterised by pure lines and meticulous details. From 1904 to 1906, he worked in Nymphemburg Porzellan Manufaktur near Munich, a factory specialising in new hand painting procedures under a slip, as well as Art Nouveau.

Rare polychrome design vessel with geometric patterns - Charles Catteau Art Deco

In 1907  he finally moved to Louvière in Belgium where he was promoted to head of the decoration department at Boch Freres Keramis at the age of 27.  This is where most of his exceptional talent came to the fore especially during the period between the two World Wars. Influenced by the great creative art movements of the time (Africanism, Japonism, Cubism, Abstraction) and his observation of nature gave him inspiration for his designs, with the  integration of  plants, stylized animals and geometric motifs. The international avant-garde movements were also an influence leading to his use of purely abstract, geometric designs and intense colours. Charles Catteau was incredibly resourceful and  explored various harmonies of form, techniques, designs, colours, shades, topics, variants and influences. In this way Catteau became a representative par excellence of Art Deco designs, giving it his personal touch. He was instrumental in introducing technical innovations during the 20’s and 30’s to aid mass production of ceramic products and expand availabiltity of affordable products. During difficult times in Europe, he created vivid, colourful, orignal and uplifting ceramic wares.

Charles Cotteau motto was “Art for All” and he also taught decorative painting at the School of Industrial in Louvière. In 1925 he obtained international recognition in the exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris. which helped raise the profile of Boch Freres. He remained at the company until he retired to Nice in 1946 .

The renaissance of his artistic legacy is largely due to the popularity of the many collectible aspects of his creations.

Ovoid vase - Boch Feres & Charles Catteau

 Three-colour repetitive design with flying eagles – stoneware.

( Pierre Berge & Associates )

Crackle glaze Art Deco vase by Charles Catteau

 Vase in enameled earthenware, slender shape with slightly opened neck.

 

Art Deco ceramic set - Charles Catteau

An octagonal and a pair of four-sided vases with geometric decorations in black, white, ocher, yellow and turquoise to designs.

 

Ovoid Art Deco vase by Charles Catteau

 Vase ovoid earthenware decorated with white crackle brown and black pads and triple sinuous brown.

Baluster Art Deco vase - Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau

Kunsthandel Nobra-»-Blog

 

 

Vase with crane motif - Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau White Cranes ovoid vase

Art Deco ovoid vase by Charles Catteau

 Ovoid vase using polychrome enamel on cracked beige background by Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau art deco vase

A Boch Freres Keramis baluster Art Deco vase designed by Charles Catteau, circa 1925

 

Charles Catteau Art Deco vases

Polychrome designs with geometric patterns – matt enamels – 1927

 

 

Charles Catteau tumbler

Vase ceramic bowl decorated with stained black gold galloping deer in a forest.

 

 

Carved surface vase - Charles Catteau

Large Art Deco & Art Nouveau styled vase – Boch Freres

Charles Catteau polychrome Art Deco vase

Charles Catteau Art Deco glazed earthenware hexagonal vase for Boch Frères Keramic, circa 1925

 

 

 

Charles Catteau africanist/art deco vase

 Africanist sandstone and satin enamels of ovoid form, decorated stylized plant motifs on the entire surface.

Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau art deco vase

 Scailmont vase by Charles Catteau

Polychrome Art Deco vase - Charles Catteau

Classic Art Deco vase – Jan Wind design for Charles Catteau

 

Art Deco pottery by Charles Catteau

 Polychrome designs with geometric patterns – stoneware.

 

 

Charles Catteau baluster vase

 Antique Belgian Majolica Boch Freres / Charles Catteau Art Deco Gourd Shaped Vase

 

 

Boch Freres Charles Catteau vases

Charles Catteau & Boch Frères Keramis – 1937

 

Egyptian Art Deco vase - Charles Catteau

Charales Catteau ovoid porcelain finish stoneware vase with a rimmed neck

Art Deco vase set-Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau – Boch Freres  Two enamel-decorated vases in cuerda seca.

 

Art Deco cup - Charle Catteau

Art Deco cup with stylized floral motifs -Charles-Catteau 1927

 

Charles Catteau art deco vase

French Art Deco vase by Charles Catteau

 

Love birds vase - Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau love birds vase

 

 

Charles Catteau africanist vase

 A large vase oblong black glazed stoneware incised geometric decoration of deer grazing.

 

 

Charles Catteau Cubist Art Deco vase

Geometric cubist style Art Deco vase -Charles Catteau 1929

 

 

Crackle glaze ovoid vase by Charles Catteau

Art Deco crackle glaze vase – Charles Catteau

 

large ovoid vase by Charles Catteau

Art Deco ovoid vase – Charles Catteau

 

Cubist Art Deco ovoid vase - Charles Catteau

Art Deco cubist stylized sailboats and seagulls ovoid vase – Charles Catteau 1930

 

Art Deco vase with a deer motif - Charles Catteau

Vase with moving deer motif

 

 

Art Deco six sided vase

Art Deco vase designed by Maurice Delvaux for Charles Catteau

 

 

Exotic-floral vase by Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau for Boch Freres 1936

 

catteau_photo

Charles Catteau

410px-455px-charles-catteau-deco-vase

Green and gold Art Deco vase

Updated – 16/4/2013

More innovative Art Deco by Charles Catteau :

Charles Catteau Art Deco vase geometric patterns

Catteau Art Deco vase geometric patterns – 1929

Charles Catteau Deco Vase

Unique Charles Catteau Deco Vase  polychrome design with strongly stylized floral motifs.

1924

Charles Catteau,Vase decorative figures in bathing costumes

Charles Catteau,Vase with decorative figures in bathing costumes, strollers and anglers

by a river. 1935

 

Charles Catteau Ovoid Vase

Charles Catteau Ovoid Vase – 1928

Art Deco Catteau

Two-colour design with stylized pine cones and pine needles Art Deco  by Charles Catteau – 1926

Charles Catteau Deco ovoid vase

Charles Catteau Deco ovoid vase

1929

Charles Catteau Polar Bear Motif Vase

Polar Bear Vase – Jan Wind for Charles Catteau

1926

Large Catteau giraffe vase

Large Catteau giraffe vase – 1931

Charles Catteau art deco vase

Vase – Art Deco by Charles Catteau

Charles Catteau Art Deco

Charles Catteau Art Deco ceramic jar – 1930

Charles Catteau ceramique vases

Charles Catteau ceramique vases

Above images © Pierre Bergé & associés // © photographies Brice Vandermeeren.

 
 
 
 
 

 

Back with Deco

Orange Black and Cream Boch ovoid vase with flared rim

Orange Black and Cream Vase –Boch Freres

 

 

Art Deco delight

 

The curvaceous and sensuous lines of Art Nouveau morphed into the polar opposite of the more straight and angular lines which defined the commanding style of Art Deco in the 20’s and 30‘s. Art Deco’s ornamental style, and its lavishness is attributed to the reaction to the forced austerity imposed by World War I. At the same time the Deco’s rigid and regimental lines mirrored the austerity at the time..  Germany embraced and  influenced the later Art Deco designs. The curved lines of Nouveau were more inclusive and Feng Shui positive then the exclusive and more hostile sharp angles that followed with Deco.

Architecturally Art Deco was easier to adopt in building design then Art Nouveau, a match made in heaven with the emergance of the skyscaper age.  Art Deco was of the Machine Age and it adopted its streamline technologies such as modern aviation, electric lighting, radio, ocean liners and skyscrapers for inspiration. The art deco style, which above all reflected modern technology of the time, was characterized by smooth lines, geometric shapes, streamlined forms and bright, sometimes garish colours. Art Deco was used extensively in the United States for railway stations during the 1930s, being designed to represent the modernity and efficiency of railway trains.

 

 The foundation of Art Deco :

The foundation of Art Deco was based on mathematical geometric forms. The ability to travel easily and the numerous archaeological excavations during this period; the tomb of Tutankhamun, Pompeii, Troy, etc., influenced both artists and designers who integrated several foreign elements into their work. At its best, art deco represented elegance, glamour, functionality and modernity.

eva zeisel german art deco vase

Art Deco became the first truly international style, spreading quickly around the world during the 1920s and 1930s.  A myriad of artists beutifully interpreted Art Deco and made it a higly distinctive and memorable era of design.

Art Deco decorative themes  :

( from ArtDecoNapier )

◊     Sunbursts and fountains – representing the dawn of a new modern age.
◊    The Skyscraper shape – symbolic of the 20th century.
◊     Symbols of speed –  power and flight – the exciting new developments in transport and communications.
◊     Geometric shapes – representing the machine and technology which it was thought would solve all our problems.
◊    The new woman – revelling in her recently won social freedoms.
◊     Breaking the rules – cacophonous jazz, short skirts and hair, shocking dances.
◊     Ancient cultures – for oddly enough, there was a fascination with the civilizations of Egypt and Central America.

 

 

Eva Zeisel Art Deco Jug 1929

Eva Zeisel Jug 1929 Germany

Art Deco gazelle bookends

1930’s  Earthenware Bookends Unsigned

Orchies Art Deco Vase

Vintage Orchies Vase

French ceramic crackle glaze baluster vase of bulbous form.

( Sheryl’s Art Deco )

Art Deco swan vase

Art Deco Swan Planter Zanesville

1930's Art Deco Polychrome tobacco set

1930’s Art Deco Polychrome Tobacco Set

Sarreguemines

 French Art Deco Sperical Pottery Vase

French Art Deco Vase

Echo of Deco-custom Amber Sun clock

Echo-of-Deco-custom Amber Sun clock

Rosenthal Deco vase

Rosenthal Vase 1930

Deco lamp turquoise Strangl

Deco lamp turquoise Strangl

Art deco lidded jar

Phil Dale

Clarice Cliff tea set

Farmhouse-tea-for-two – Clarice Cliff

( Andrew Muir )

Leaping dancer art deco vase

Leaping Nude Vase

artdeconapier.com

Royal Doulton vase

Royal Dalton

Nautius green and white shell vase

Nautilus Shell Vase

Zsolnay art deco vase

Zsolnay

Faceted Art Deco flared vase

1920s art deco crystalline pottery vase -Secretbackroom

Cubist Clarice Cliff teapot

Clarice Cliff Teapot

Hand Painted Clews flared vase

Vintage Hand Painted Clews

Deco shuffle

Belgium tri handled vase

Belgium Art Deco tri handled vase

Phil Dale art deco

Phil Dale

Buren mantle clock modernist

Buren Art Deco Modernist Clock

McCoy Vase

McCoy

Vintage Brush McCoy Art Deco Vase

Vintage Brush McCoy Vase

Katzhutte art deco dancing figurine

Katzhutte art deco figurine

Boch vase

Boch Art Deco vase – designer Charles Catteau

Larege French art deco vessel

French Art Deco 1930

Rosso marble and enamelled art deco clock

Rosso marble and enamel Art Deco clock

Elegant Frankoma Crocus flower vase

Frankoma Crocus flower vase

from PrairieDecArts

Clarice Cliff Mountain conical coffee pot

 Mountain conical coffee pot – Clarice Cliff

Authur Wood art deco flared vase

Art Deco Vase – Authur Woods

Art Deco room decor

Camille Faure Vase abstract pattern

Limoges, France, has long been a center of enamel ware. This Art Deco vase, dating from about 1925, is the product of Camille Faure and is enamelled with copper.

( Virginia Museum of Fine Arts )

Cygal art deco chair

Cygal Art Deco

Ventrillon craqueles pigeon

Ventrillon craqueles pigeon – Saint-Clement, France
( tim smith vincent )
Vase Fructuoso art deco

Art Deco Vase with Egyptian dancer – Fructuoso Coimbra – 1930’s

Gunnar Nylund art deco jar

Art deco Spherical Jar  -Gazelles and palms

Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand 1931

 

Boch Freres vase - Belgium
Art Deco Jar –  Boch Freres – Belgium
modernaumaoutranemtanto.blogspot
Art Deco green jugArt Deco Jug
Charles Catteau vaseCharles Catteau Vase
Frankart figural lamp
Frankart figural lamp
Art Deco Charles Catteau

 

 

 

Belgian Art Deco Vase – Charles Catteau
see more of Charles Catteau here : www.veniceclayartists.com/charles-catteau/