Circular Glazed Ceramic and Brass Mirror

A small, jewel-like circular mirror in a ceramic frame whose glaze presents a richly mottled surface of warm amber, copper and deep earth tones over a dark ground. The ceramic body is edged with a fine brass band that both strengthens the structure and adds a note of metallic refinement to what is essentially an object of artisanal pottery at its most intimate and domestic. The combination of fired ceramic and gilt metal is characteristic of the best French decorative craftsmanship of the immediate post-war period.

The glazing technique recalls the tradition of French studio ceramics in the post-war years, when potters working in the south of France — most notably in and around Vallauris in the Var — explored the expressive possibilities of applied and multiple-fired glazes to produce work that married functional purpose with genuine decorative effect. The warm, mottled character of this glaze, with its suggestion of organic texture and natural variation, is characteristic of that tradition at its most appealing: an object made with the evident pleasure of a craftsperson in full command of their material.

At just 25 centimetres in diameter, this is a piece conceived for intimate settings — a bathroom, a dressing table, a bedroom wall, or a small entrance hall. Its modest scale belies the care invested in its making: the ceramic body neatly turned, the glaze evenly and attractively applied, the brass band fitted with precision. It is the kind of object that rewards close attention while contributing quietly to the warmth of an interior.

In very good condition, the glaze intact and the brass band bright and even. Overall diameter: 25 cm; frame depth: 2 cm. A charming and collectible example of mid-century French decorative ceramics applied to a functional domestic object, equally suited to a period interior and a contemporary setting.