Poët-Laval Vintage French Ceramic Platter by Jacques Pouchain (circa 1950s)

Poët-Laval vintage ceramic platter by Jacques Pouchain (circa 1950s). Immediately joyful, this oval tray belongs to the most sought-after chapter of Jacques Pouchain's career: his years as head of decoration at the Coursange faïencerie in Poët-Laval, where he transformed a utilitarian workshop into a vehicle for vivid, modernist design. The glaze is a deep, saturated amber-yellow — warm as a Provençal afternoon. An inner field divides into a grid of rectangular panels, each alternating between clusters of almond-leaf forms and stylised suns with watchful dotted eyes and fine radiating lines. The wide rim carries a continuous frieze of ovoid marks — part moon, part seed — encircling the tray with rhythmic, almost textile regularity. It is a piece made for use as much as display. It is one of Pouchain's highly personal works created in Poët-Laval rather than in the town next door, Dieulefit, where his more commercial pieces were produced. The large maker's mark on the bottom reflects this differentiation. In very good overall condition. A rare collector's piece from the personal repertoire of the master ceramicist, Jacques Pouchain. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video will be provided.

About the Artist: Jacques Pouchain (1927-2015) studied architecture before training at the Académie de la Grande-Chaumière in Paris — the celebrated free academy whose alumni had included Giacometti, Miró and Foujita. In 1951 he left Paris for the southern Drôme, initially intending to become an abstract painter, and was drawn instead into ceramics at the Faïencerie Coursange in Poët-Laval. As head of its decoration and modelling workshop until 1957, he defined the shapes and colours of the factory's production, introducing bright-coloured ceramics decorated with stylised patterns reminiscent of nature — birds, fruits and suns. There he was also able to produce highly personal work revealing a modern approach to pottery. In 1959 he established his own Atelier in nearby Dieulefit, where he worked until 1982. At the beginning of the 1990s he took advantage of his role as first deputy in charge of culture in Dieulefit to found the Maison de la Terre with Serge Emiliani — an exhibition space quickly accompanied by a training space called the Maison de la Céramique, approved by the National Commission for Professional Certification. His work is held in the collections of the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée de Valence, the Musée Cantini in Marseille, and Boston University.

Dimensions:

H 2.5 cm / 1"

W 31.7 cm / 12.5"

D 22 cm / 8.7"