Jean-Baptiste Gambut (1831–1883) - Plate - Terracotta - Palissyware - Very Rare

Length: 46 cm. Width: 35 cm. Weight: 3060 gr. Condition: the platter is in antique condition consistent with its considerable age. There are scattered chips, glaze losses, surface wear, firing/age lines and small losses to some of the raised naturalistic elements and along the irregular border. These signs of age are clearly visible in the photographs and are entirely compatible with a fragile, heavily modelled ceramic object dating from the 19th century. Despite these age-related imperfections, the platter retains a very strong overall appearance, with vivid glazing, extensive original relief decoration and a clearly legible incised signature. Please examine all multiple photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition description. Jean-Baptiste Gambut l’Aîné (1808–1883) Rare 19th-Century Palissy Revival Glazed Terracotta Naturalistic Relief Platter – Beaune, France A remarkable and rare 19th-century French glazed terracotta relief platter by Jean-Baptiste Gambut l’Aîné (1808–1883), one of the most distinctive Burgundian ceramic artists working in the tradition of Bernard Palissy. The reverse bears the clearly incised signature: “Gambut aîné à Beaune” Jean-Baptiste Gambut l’Aîné established his pottery workshop in Beaune in 1831 and became particularly known for his highly sculptural post-Palissy “terre vernissée” ceramics, inspired by the famous rustiques figulines of Renaissance potter Bernard Palissy. This exceptional platter presents an elaborate naturalistic aquatic landscape modelled in high relief. The centre represents a shallow pond or stream, its surface articulated with finely incised undulating lines suggesting moving water. It is populated by a wonderfully unusual assemblage of aquatic and terrestrial creatures, including amphibians or salamander-like animals, a turtle, a crayfish, molluscs and snails, surrounded by stones, branches, aquatic plants and dense vegetation. The irregular border has been conceived almost as a fragment of a riverbank itself, with roots, foliage, moss-like textures and rocky formations merging into the central scene. The extensive hand-modelled relief gives the composition an extraordinary three-dimensional quality. The entire surface is covered with rich polychrome glazes in characteristic emerald and olive greens, ochre and yellow, deep brown and almost black tones, with the translucent glaze collecting in the recesses and emphasising the highly detailed modelling. The result is the striking trompe-l’œil naturalism for which the Gambut family became known. The platter also retains pierced holes incorporated into the body for suspension, consistent with the essentially decorative character of these large naturalistic ceramic compositions, which were intended to be displayed almost like paintings. The Gambut family occupied a highly individual position within the French 19th-century revival of Palissy ceramics. Their production was relatively limited, and only a small number of works are known today. Important examples are preserved in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Beaune, whose collection includes eighteen Gambut ceramics decorated with reptiles, amphibians, fish, crayfish, shells, vegetation and imaginary creatures. A particularly characterful and highly collectible example of French Palissy Revival / post-Palissy ceramics, combining sculpture, ceramics and natural history in a spectacular cabinet-of-curiosities aesthetic. #madeinfrance

Estimation:€1,100

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