19th-century Barbotine Basin Depicting Three Putti, By Sergent-thomas.

À polychrome barbotine basin or centerpiece featuring three putti supporting a large, scalloped, conch- or shell-shaped bowl. Executed in the 19th-century Neo-Renaissance style inspired by the creations of Bernard Palissy—and attributed to Thomas Victor Sergent—the piece features glazed ceramic with rich polychrome hues (browns, whites, and touches of green and pink). Thomas Victor Sergent’s work reflects the 19th-century significance of Bernard Palissy and the legend surrounding his ceramic oeuvre. Following a series of experiments with colored enamels, Palissy specialized in polychrome-glazed ceramics. A number of artists, first in Tours and later in Paris, embraced this tradition, reviving the characteristics of the distinctive ceramics Palissy himself termed "rustiques figulines" (rustic earthenware). Active between 1870 and 1885, Thomas Victor Sergent participated in this trend and is considered one of the three greatest 19th-century "Palissystes," alongside Victor Barbizet (1805–1870) and Georges Pull (1810–1889). Sergent distinguished himself through the technical quality of his hard, deep glaze, which highlights vivid, contrasting colors—he was particularly fond of brilliant cobalt blue. While he favored molding over modeling, the two techniques were often combined.