Jacques Blin, Lamp Base Decorated With Stylized Faces

Jacques BLIN (1920-1995)
Lamp base decorated with stylized faces

Engobed and enameled terracotta with incised decoration
Electric mount
Signature "J Blin" under the base
France, circa 1955-1965

Dimensions:

Height with socket: 29.5 cm / Height without socket: 25 cm;
Base diameter: 8.5 cm / Total diameter: 24 cm

Rare engobed earth lamp base of archaizing form, resting on a circular base and topped by a long truncated conical neck integrating the electric mount. The flattened body, with gently curved shoulders, is punctuated by small perforated side sockets that reinforce the sculptural dimension of the whole.

The surface is entirely animated by a point-engraved decoration representing a succession of stylized faces inscribed in circular medallions. Each figure presents a distinct physiognomy (schematic profiles, bearded characters or frontal figures) treated in the graphic vocabulary of Jacques BLIN.

The decoration is obtained by incising into the slip before firing, then enhanced with dark oxides that emphasize the line. Light reserves contrast with nuanced shades of green and gray, creating a vibrant surface where firing variations play a full part in the desired plastic effect.

The frieze-like organization of the decoration evokes certain archaic or Mediterranean iconographies reinterpreted in a highly personal language. This reference to ancient forms can be found in several of Jacques BLIN's works during the 1950s, a period when the artist developed a production strongly marked by primitivism, popular arts and ancient civilizations.

From the early 1950s, he established himself as one of the major figures in the post-war revival of French ceramics. His work is distinguished by the importance given to engraved design, often compared to an autonomous graphic script, in which human figures, animals and symbolic motifs are freely deployed on the surface of the object.

Lamps make up an important part of his production and testify to his desire to integrate ceramics into the domestic space while retaining a strong sculptural dimension. Examples featuring such highly developed decoration of stylized faces, combined with an elaborate, archaizing form, are among the artist's most sought-after pieces today.

Bibliography:

Yvonne Brunhammer, La Céramique française des années 1950, Office du Livre

Pierre Staudenmeyer, La Céramique française des années 50, Norma Éditions, Paris, 2001

Alain and Marjolaine Vian, Les Céramistes des années 50, Éditions du Regard, Paris, 1998

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