Vase - Stoneware - Chinoiserie stoneware vase

Beautiful antique vase, from the 1920s–1940s, perhaps mid-1930s. Unsigned, in fine biscuit stoneware (or possibly porcelain), in a style blending Art Nouveau and chinoiserie. Handmade, wheel-thrown, stamped and hand-painted, with glaze only on the interior. Amphora-like shape with a stout body resting on a small slightly elevated round base, a narrowed neck and flared mouth, fitted with two double handles in the spirit of Art Nouveau/Art Deco. Exterior unglazed, matte beige biscuit texture, stamped with dark Payne’s blue borders and floral and geometric motifs inspired by Chinese design, in places close to a Kashmir pattern; petals and leaves filled in gray/black, borders and handles painted in black. Interior glazed in metallized brown-black, reminiscent of certain Belgian productions between the wars; the shape of the handles, the material and the technique suggest European manufacture. The chinoiserie decoration is misleading here; it is very likely not an Asian production. This vase does not come from industrial or semi-industrial mass production: a slight deformation of the neck highlights hand craftsmanship. An unusual and rare object, very decorative, probably from Belgian, French, or Dutch production.

Height 25.5 cm, width 21 cm across the handles, maximum diameter 15–16 cm, neck diameter 10 cm, weight about 1 kg. In perfect condition, nothing notable, a few small discreet stains, interior use visible but not heavily marked.