Ceramic Vase, Tours

Important Baluster Vase – Herbinère Manufactory, Tours. Glazed ceramic with historicist decoration – Late 19th/Early 20th century. A very elegant baluster vase with a slender neck, made of glazed ceramic, produced by the Herbinère manufactory in Tours, renowned for the quality of its decorative work in the late 19th century. The vase features a remarkable relief decoration with a scale-like background, enhanced by rich polychrome and gilded painted decoration. The body is adorned with a central armorial cartouche, surrounded by Renaissance-inspired foliate scrolls, executed with finesse and precision. The neck is decorated with stylized fleur-de-lis, evoking a historicist and neo-Renaissance style that was very popular at the time. The glazes have a beautiful depth, with warm and nuanced tones, and a fine, even crackle, characteristic of the manufactory's high-quality pieces. The gilding is well preserved and elegantly highlights the reliefs and motifs. The whole piece demonstrates careful and decorative work, typical of workshops in Tours, halfway between artisanal tradition and academic aesthetics.