Suite of Four Resin Trays with Marine Inclusions, France, circa 1970

These four resin trays present a luminous water-green ground, tinted with turquoise reflections evocative of the sea floor. Within the transparent depth of the resin, natural specimens have been included with near-naturalistic precision: seahorses, small fish, filiform seaweed and shells, fixed for eternity within their artificial medium. The resin, polished smooth on both faces, lends these inclusions the clarity of an aquatic stained glass.

The technique of polyester resin inclusions reached its peak in France during the 1960s and 1970s, driven by designers and the many artisan workshops specialising in decorative everyday objects. It involved pouring successive layers of transparent resin while incorporating natural or artificial materials, producing pieces that were at once utilitarian and decorative — and of considerable originality.

The gathering of four trays into a coherent suite amplifies the decorative effect: presented together, they form a miniature maritime cabinet of curiosities, capable of colonising a sideboard, a coffee table or a bathroom with elegant, assured fantasy. Since each tray differs slightly in the arrangement of its inclusions, no two are exact repetitions of each other.

In good general condition, the resin is intact and the inclusions well preserved. Objects that speak with freshness of the inventive spirit of French decorative arts of the period — halfway between the seaside souvenir and the collector's piece.