Ceramics & Glass
Charles Catteau Art Deco Vase for Atelier de Fantasie by Boch Ceramics
Charles Catteau for Boch Frères Art Deco Ceramic Vase
A highly stylized Art Deco vase by master ceramicist Charles Catteau for Boch Frères. The bold use of black, green, and yellow against a softly crackled ground gives the piece a strong graphic presence, while the technique of raised outlines and vibrant glazed color creates an effect reminiscent of ceramic cloisonné.
The decoration features abstract tropical foliage combined with unusual crosshatched motifs, giving the vase a distinctly modern appearance that feels remarkably advanced for a work created in the 1920s. The elongated form and full 16 inch height add to its impressive scale, making it a piece that commands attention from across the room.
The style marks and Boch Frères insignia are impressed into the ceramic.
Charles Catteau studied at the National School of Ceramics in Sèvres, France, before joining Boch Frères in La Louvière, Belgium, in 1906. Within a short time he became one of the company’s most important designers. He gained particular acclaim for the imaginative work associated with the Atelier de Fantaisie and achieved international recognition through the 1925 Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs.
Deeply influenced by Japanese design, Catteau frequently combined geometric structure with stylized natural forms, using strong outlines and richly colored glazes to create some of the most recognizable ceramics of the Art Deco period. This vase is an especially striking example of that distinctive visual language.
Poster for Art Exhibition at La Louviere
(note the ceramic pieces depicted)
Charles Catteau and a monumental piece created for the exhibition
at the 1925 Paris Expo des Artes Decoatif
A Book on the work of Charles Catteau
info@artdecocollection.com
