Cubist Earthenware Vase - Late 20th Century

A wonderfully expressive late 20th-century ceramic vase, distinguished by its sculptural double-sided form and boldly hand-painted decoration recalling the playful ceramic vocabulary of Pablo Picasso and the wider European Modernist tradition.

The vessel is formed with a dramatically split, double-neck opening above a softly rounded body. Hand-painted horizontal bands of deep chocolate brown wrap around the warm ivory ground, interrupted on either side by whimsical, highly stylized facial features. The decoration is deliberately loose and painterly, with visible brushwork lending the piece the spontaneity and individuality of an artist’s studio ceramic.

Particularly appealing is its double-faced design, allowing the vase to be viewed from multiple angles. The integration of the human face into the vessel itself transforms an otherwise classical ceramic form into something playful, sculptural and distinctly Modernist.

The combination of figurative imagery, graphic striping and unconventional silhouette recalls the experimental approach to ceramics championed by Picasso and other artists working throughout the mid-to-late 20th century. Despite its modest scale, the vase has a remarkably strong presence and reads as much as a small sculpture as it does a decorative vessel.

A sophisticated and characterful addition to a collection of Modernist ceramics, particularly striking displayed amongst works of art, books and other collected objects.

Dimensions: 8 in. H
Period: Late 20th century
Style: Modernist, Cubist, in the manner of Pablo Picasso
Medium: Hand-painted ceramic
Condition: Good vintage condition with minor irregularities inherent to its hand-painted and studio-style execution.