French Vintage Ceramic Pitcher with Abstract Motif by Alexandre Kostanda (circa 1960s)

French vintage ceramic pitcher by Alexandre Kostanda, Vallauris, France (circa 1960s). In his trademark natural clay and rustic style, Kostanda created beautifully original vessels, such as vases, pitchers and pots which were both utilitarian and stunning works of art. Tactile and visually alluring, these pieces are collected internationally by devotees of Kostanda, one of the founders of the Accolay workshops. This is one of Kostanda's most painterly pieces, a boldly conceived stoneware pitcher which bears a large-scale abstract composition in the spirit of the Vallauris milieu he inhabited — a world shaped by Picasso's cubist reinvention of the ceramic form. The tall, tapering body widens dramatically from a narrow foot to a broad, lipped rim, providing an almost canvas-like surface for the sweeping design. Bold dark outlines define a series of interlocking biomorphic and rectilinear shapes — hovering between figuration and abstraction — washed in warm ochre, sienna, pale blue-grey, and raw clay tones. The result reads unmistakably as a figure, yet dissolves into pure geometry on closer inspection. A rounded strap handle sits comfortably to the right, glazed in warm honey yellow and speckled with iron flecks consistent with the body. Signed on the underside: 'A. Kostanda, Vallauris', along with an impressed maker's mark. In very good overall condition. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video will be provided. 

Dimensions:

H 28 cm / 11"

W 20.5 cm / 8.1"

D 10.5 cm / 4.1"

About the Artist: Alexandre Kostanda (1924-2007), born in Poland and was an apprentice to Louis Giraud in Vallauris, France, on the French Riviera. Kostanda later became head of the studio from 1949 to 1953 where his mother, Irene, had also worked for Giraud as a decorator. In 1953 Kostanda founded his own studio. He brought Cluny sandstone clay with him which supported higher cooking temperatures, mixing it with the soil from Vallauris. When others migrated towards bright, shimmering colours, Kostanda preferred to create with colours that retained the natural elements of the clay. His ceramics' rustic appearance surprises with its finesse and balance revealing an exceptional technical mastery of his art.