This bowl was made by Clement Massier in 1871. Massier was from a family of ceramists going back to his great-grandfather before the French Revolution. His family ran a ceramic factory and both he and his brother were taught by an Italian master, Gaetano Gandolfi, who had been employed at the factory. Interestingly enough, Clement made this bowl the same year his father passed and the factory was turned over to him and his brother. For some time they ran the factory together, but eventually Clement embarked out on his own.
Success came easy for him, and by 1884 he had his own factory, a staff of 120, a gallery, and exhibition hall. That same year he began developing luster glazes. He is better known for his work with those glazes and the American Weller Company works with them today.
This bowl is made of earthenware, a clay that normally has a low firing temperature. Consequently the lower temperature also makes it possible for ceramists to have richer colors on their vessels. The pooling of the glaze at the bottom of the bowl backs up this theory, along with what may have been a few bubbles. Having hundreds of years of documented family experience and teachings can be seen in this piece.
Citation:
Victoria and Albert Collection. collections.vam.ac.uk. Victoria and Albert Museum, 2013. Web. 24 June 2013.
Jason Jacques Inc. www.jasonjacques.com. Jason Jacques Inc, n/a. Web. 24 June 2013.
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