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Vase
Auguste Delaherche, born 1857 - died 1940 - Enlarge image
Vase
- Place of origin:
Paris, France (made)
- Date:
1887-9 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Auguste Delaherche, born 1857 - died 1940 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Stoneware, with incised decoration
- Museum number:
495-1889
- Gallery location:
World Ceramics, room 145, case 15, shelf 1
Auguste Delaherche (1857-1940) was born in Beauvais ands trained at the École des Arts Décoratifs. He worked as a restorer of stained glass, a designer of religious jewellery and as director of the electroplating department at the Christofle company in Paris. After this very mixed experience, he made his first pots in salt glazed stoneware inspired by folk traditions at L'Italienne pottery, Goincourt. In 1887 he bought the workshop of Ernest Chaplet in rue Blomet, Paris and became a full time potter. He was awarded a gold medal at the international exhibition, Paris, 1889 and his wares, made in multiples, were very much in demand thereafter. In 1894 he left Paris for Armentières near Beauvais to work quietly in the country, although still sending work to sell in Paris and winning a gold medal there in the international exhibition, 1900. By 1904, like many of his contemporaries, he began working in porcelain as well as in stoneware, and dispensing with assistants, he concentrated solely on unique wares.
This vase, from his display in Paris, 1889, for which he won a gold medal, was singled out for special praise by several critics at the time. His early pots were inspired by folk pottery and the decoration on this vase retains some of the simple floral patterning associated with traditional wares. From 1887 Delaherche's experiments with high temperature glazes and different firing techniques provided him with a sophisticated range of colours and surface effects. In his later porcelains he specialised in openwork and extreme translucency.
