Ceramics & Glass
Ceramic Vase by Charles Catteau from 1923
An Art Deco Vase designed by Charles Catteau for Boch Freres Keramis for the group of pieces in the Atelier de Fantasie collection produced in La Louviere. Catteau was considered the master of Art Deco Design, and his work predates the explosion of the style in the 1920s.
This piece embodies a touch of "African" influence in the twig like branches and stylized flowers all rendered in earth tones .
Charles Catteau at the Paris Exposition des Arts Decoratifs in 1925
His bold and colorful designs exhibited in a pavilion dedicated to the work of Boch Keramis earned him the reputation as a "founding father of the art deco style in ceramics.
He had been trained in the famous ceramics school in Sevres France and was hired by Boch Pottery in 1906 when they sought a "new direction" . Catteau because the chief designer of a line called "Atelier de Fantasie", using the technique of "ceramic cloisonné" in which clear- often carved- outlines of patterns and images are then filled in with rich enamel colors
The Royal Museum of Art and History (Cinquantenaire) in Belgium has a special area entirely dedicated to the works of art of Charles Catteau. and the Villa Empain in Brussels has an extensive collection.
