Vintage glazed ceramic vase w/ floral designs by Les Potiers d’Accolay 8"

Dating from the 1970s, a delightful green, brown, and blue-glazed pottery vase by Les Potiers d’Accolay. Its shape features a gourd-shaped form and repeating raised sides, hand-carved floral and leaf accents. Signed beneath. A wonderful vase to add to a collection of pottery and infuse a touch of artisan French charm to your space.

In the 1950s and 60s, a stop at the Accolay pottery studio was a ritual for Parisians driving down south to spend summer on the south coast of France. Accolay was founded by four young artists, André Boutaud, Louis Dangon, Slavic Paley and Raude. In 1944, they were apprenticed to the celebrated ceramist, Alexandre Kostanda (initially, they claimed, in order to escape forced labour under the German Occupation.) When the war ended, they started an experimental pottery in a disused factory in the little village of Accolay, near Burgundy.

A right of passage for potters near and far, it was common for ceramic artists to take up residence in this communal pottery studio for periods of time before continuing on to work in other ceramic studios and gain apprenticeships. The turning point came when Christian Dior ordered 300 of their ceramic buttons for his New Look collection. From there, they were on the road to success. Excerpts from The Road to Accolay.