Roger Capron, “valaque” Orangeade Set, Circa 1955

Roger CAPRON (1922–2006),
“Valaque” orangeade set, circa 1955

A pitcher and 6 cups made of polychrome glazed ceramic with hand-painted underglaze decoration.

Dimensions:
Pitcher: H 25 x D 23 cm
Goblet: H 11.5 x D 9 cm

Glazed ceramic orangeade set consisting of a pitcher and six matching goblets.

The decoration is hand-painted in a palette dominated by shades of ivory, orange-red, yellow, turquoise blue, and black. Each piece is adorned with stylized figures wearing headdresses, shields, and spears. The figures stand out against a light background and are rendered in a graphic style characterized by flat areas of color and sharply defined outlines.

The pitcher features a curved body extending into a flared neck and a side handle.
The cups have a truncated conical shape that flares slightly toward the top.

The “Valaque” design is among Roger CAPRON’s most iconic creations from the early years of his career in Vallauris. First appearing in the 1950s, it reflects the artist’s interest in folk traditions, folklore, and simplified graphic forms of expression that marked the postwar revival of the decorative arts.

At that time, Roger CAPRON played an active role in the revival of French ceramics alongside the leading figures in Vallauris. His work stands out for its ability to combine artistic rigor with domestic function, transforming everyday objects into vehicles for genuine artistic creation.

The “Valaque” series holds a special place in this body of work. It belongs to the artist’s most spontaneous and narrative period, prior to the development of his major architectural projects and his explorations of geometric structures.
The compositions draw freely from an imagination inspired by the traditional cultures of Central and Eastern Europe, reinterpreted in a resolutely modern language.

Complete sets from this series are now less frequently seen on the market than individual pieces. Their appeal lies as much in their decorative coherence as in their ability to illustrate one of the most highly regarded periods of Roger CAPRON’s career.

Bibliography:

Pierre Staudenmeyer, Les Céramistes de Vallauris, Paris, Éditions du Regard, 1993;

Pierre Staudenmeyer, Roger Capron, Céramiste, Paris, Éditions de l'Amateur, 2003;

Alain Capron, Roger Capron, le génie des formes, Paris, Norma Éditions, 2020.

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