Art & Statues
Catteau: Schenking Claire De Pauw
Catteau
Published in 2001 by the Koning Boudewijn Stichting, this softcover catalogue documents one of the great gifts to Belgian ceramic history, the donation of Claire De Pauw and Marcel Stal's collection of Charles Catteau ceramics. The donation includes more than eight hundred earthenware vases designed by Catteau and his workshop, pieces that illustrate the rich output of the Boch Keramis decoration workshop in La Louvière between 1907 and 1948. The cover features a striking ovoid vase in dark glaze with a stylized, flowing pattern rendered in reserve, characteristic of Catteau's mature style. Edited by Dominique Allard and issued in Dutch text, the book was published alongside the 2001 exhibition at the Koninklijke Stallingen in Brussels. It remains a key reference for anyone studying Belgian Art Deco ceramics and the work of Boch Keramis.
The catalogue traces Catteau's stylistic development at Boch Keramis, where he was brought in to modernize the firm's output and became known for bold, stylized motifs drawn from nature alongside vivid color glazes. Between 1910 and 1948 his designs, inspired by fashion, modern art movements, and African and Eastern traditions, sustained the international reputation of Royal Boch. The De Pauw-Stal collection reflects the full range of his talent, from the ovoid and faceted vase forms to the crackle glazes and animal and floral motifs that made his work so recognizable during the Art Deco period.
Charles Catteau (1880-1966) remains one of the defining figures of Belgian Art Deco ceramics. A French-born designer who spent most of his career at Boch Keramis in La Louvière, he helped establish the firm as an international name in decorative ceramics during the 1920s and 1930s. Claire De Pauw and Marcel Stal assembled their collection over many years out of a shared appreciation for Catteau's color and design, and the donation to the Koning Boudewijnstichting was made in tribute to Marcel Stal, with the goal of conserving and making the collection accessible to the public.
This catalogue is essential reading for collectors of Boch Keramis and Belgian Art Deco ceramics, and it serves as a useful reference for identifying and dating pieces by pattern and form. Its concise format and strong photography make it equally suited to focused research or general browsing.
