Mithé Espelt (1923–2020) “cage” Mirror

Large mirror by artist Mithé Espelt (1923–2020), a cataloged piece titled "Cage #2," featuring an architectural structure made of glazed ceramic with kiln-cracked gold. In very good condition; dimensions: 32 cm x 20 cm. It should be noted that Mithé Espelt designed two “Cage” models, and we are offering here the “Cage #2” model, which is the more sought-after of the two (the other, smaller model features variations). For your information, a piece identical to our mirror was sold at auction in Paris at Me Ader in Drouot for €4,860.

Bibliography: - A. Candau, Mithé Espelt, “Le luxe discret du quotidien,” model reproduced on p. 160
Mithé Espelt (1923–2020) was born in 1923 in Lunel. She grew up in a vibrant artistic environment, surrounded by Frédéric Mistral, Edmond Baissat, and the interior designer Jean Hugo, a prominent figure in the local artistic and intellectual scene. In Lunel, he introduced the young Mithé to the social circle (Cocteau, Bérard, Picasso, etc.) of his neighbor, Jean Hugo, and to that of the many writers and artists he associated with. After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts, she studied under Émilie Décanis, developing her mastery of the ceramic arts to become part of the first graduating class of the experimental ceramics school in Fontcarrade, an innovative project designed to train the best French ceramicists of her generation.
She began her career in Paris by designing ceramic buttons for haute couture houses, then worked for Line Vautrin—a collaboration with the great artist that left her with a lasting, dazzled sense of nostalgia—before returning to the South. She was 23 at the time and set up a ceramics studio where she produced contemporary pottery, developed her first jewelry collections, and created her very first small mirrors. Thus, as early as 1947, she created an extravagant carousel in which—amid a shower of pure gold glitter—a myriad of small mirrors and secret boxes filled with jewelry twirled about. These objects explore desire and seduction, envy and gluttony, reality and illusion, while conveying—amidst the song of birds and the beauty of flowers—a message of optimism and love.  Emilie Decanis, who had spotted her talent in Fontcarrade, saw her as one of the rising stars of the ceramics scene and included her in numerous exhibitions, both in France and abroad. Success followed: Mithé found herself in charge of the jewelry collections at Maison Souleiado and created custom pieces for clients such as Louise de Vilmorin and Poupette Vachon, Brigitte Bardot’s stylist in Saint-Tropez.
Throughout a long career marked by the gold of success and extraordinary encounters, this explorer of the reflections and pitfalls of seduction has created an inimitable style—one of free-spirited, avant-garde work characterized by grace and lightness. And the breathtaking collection of jewelry, small mirrors, and those treasure boxes that made her famous never ceases to surprise and delight enthusiasts around the world. Mithé Espelt slipped away with one of those wonderful smiles that lit up our years of shared understanding in September 2020, just as the monograph *Mithé Espelt: The Discreet Luxury of Everyday Life* was being published.