Jean Luce For Villeroy & Boch Mettlach, Rare Celadon-blue Art Deco Tea Set, Ceramic Cr

Jean Luce for Villeroy & Boch – Art Deco Tea Set, ca. 1925

An elegant and rare celadon-glazed ceramic tea set, attributed to Jean Luce for Villeroy & Boch.

The set is distinguished by its clean, geometric forms and its spiraling handles, characteristic of the decorative style developed by Jean Luce in the 1920s. The teapot features a generously rounded body, a short, slightly upturned spout, and a spherical lid knob. The cups echo the same circular handle motif, giving the set a strong sense of formal coherence.

The surface is covered with a delicately crackled celadon glaze, whose fine natural cracks subtly enliven the material and enhance the set’s refined character.

A similar piece is held in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The museum entry dedicated to a pitcher by Jean Luce mentions a service purchased at the designer’s boutique on Rue de La Boétie in Paris, a version of which, decorated with tulips or roses, was exhibited at the Salon d’Automne in Paris in 1924. This same entry identifies Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach (Germany) as the manufacturer. The shape of the documented pitcher—particularly its large spiral handle—shows a particularly interesting resemblance to the present set (see 2 screenshots).

The set consists of 20 pieces:

• a teapot;
• a milk jug;
• six cups (note two chips under the base of two cups; see photo)
• six saucers;
• six dessert plates.

A set representative of Jean Luce’s explorations of modern, functional, and decorative ceramics, at the intersection of French Art Deco and the high-quality industrial production developed by Villeroy & Boch during the interwar period.