Helman (attributed To) Outdoor Vase / Sculpture, Art Nouveau Glazed Stoneware, Ca 1900

Large double-handled amphora vase, Art Nouveau style, attributed to the Helman House, circa 1900
Made of glazed stoneware, without a base—suggesting outdoor use, as this design allowed water to drain in case of frost. Stoneware was commonly used at the time for landscaping parks and gardens. Very good original condition.

Helman House – Célestin Helman (1863–1929)
Célestin Joseph Helman, architect and surveyor from the Verviers region, began his career working closely with the Decorative Ceramics Factory in Hasselt, where he was both shareholder and member of the management committee. He notably designed the firm’s stand for the 1897 Brussels International Exhibition, earning a gold medal.

In 1902, he founded his own company—initially "Maison Helman Céramique d’Art", later "Helman Céramique" and "SA Helman Ceramic". His first workshop was in Schaerbeek, before relocating in 1906 to Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, along the Chaussée de Gand.

Maison Helman quickly became one of the leading names in Brussels Art Nouveau ceramics, alongside Guillaume Janssens (also in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe) and the Vermeren-Coché factory in Ixelles. These pre-industrial workshops produced works from artists’ models. Helman tiles were exported as far as the United States.

Notable Achievements

• Decorative scenes such as Deep-Sea Fishing for the Poissonnerie du Quartier Léopold (rue du Trône, Ixelles)

• Decorations for the Rôtisserie Vincent (rue des Dominicains, Brussels)

• Ceramics for Leopold II’s Chinese Pavilion

• Gold medals at the Universal Exhibitions of Saint-Louis (1904) and Liège (1905)

• Collaborations with renowned designers such as Jacques Madiol (La fée électricité, La mère force motrice) and Joseph Roelants

At its peak, the company employed 160 workers. After WWI, production shifted away from Art Nouveau toward other styles (Louis XV, flamed stoneware, vases, fireplace mantels).

Following Célestin Helman’s death in 1929, his widow and two sons took over, steering the company toward modernist façades. In 1955, the firm was acquired by the German group AGROB, closed in 1958, and demolished in 1968.

Packaging & Delivery Costs

• Collection: Free

• Belgium: €60

• France: €100

• Europe: €120

• Worldwide: €300