Moonscape Charger

The décor on this triangular charger superbly demonstrates Lévy-Dhurmer's Symbolist aesthetic. The dark moon, partly obscured by brambles, suggests a night sky observed in a dream or a vision. In both his ceramics and paintings, Lévy-Dhurmer frequently used ambiguous spatial relations to create an air of mystery. Here, golden brambles in the foreground seem to press against the tenebrous moon, behind which a patch of distant sky can be glimpsed. This flattening effect can also be found in Japanese woodblock prints, with which both Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer and Massier were undoubtedly familiar.

Marks: Two labels -Clement Massier, Golfe Juan (Alpes Mmes), numbered 750 and 664.