Inventory Number C0198
Size 9.5" H x 13.25" W
Material Earthenware
Period Symbolist
Country of Origin France
Year Made c. 1895
Condition Excellent
Although not signed by Levy-Dhurmer, this cachepot shows his influence. Similar phosphorescent algae on his signed examples indicate that this piece, if not by his hand, is in his style. Its conical body is covered with an exquisitely painted colony of diatoms, microscopic algae found both in the coastal waters surrounding Golfe-Juan (where Massier's factory was located) and in marine life lithographs by the German evolutionist Ernst Haeckel. Haeckel's books on plants and microorganisms circulated widely in Europe, contributing to the branch of Art Nouveau known as biomorphic abstraction.
Marks: Painted glaze C.M. Golfe Juan (am) 1892, France.
