Glazed Stoneware Vase Signed By Alphonse Cytère, With A Blue And Silver Iridescent Flamed Finish, Unis France Sbx26vas001

Alphonse Cytère (1861–1941), Rambervillers – Amphora vase with two handles, made of blue-and-silver iridescent flamed stoneware with a mirror effect, Unis France, Art Deco

Alphonse Cytère (1861–1941)
An engineer born in Tauves (Puy-de-Dôme), Alphonse Cytère took over as director of the Société Anonyme des Produits Céramiques de Rambervillers (S.A.P.C.R.) in 1891, a company then specializing in glazed stoneware pipes. He gradually transformed it into an art studio, which he officially established around 1903. There, he developed the famous “flamed stoneware” of Rambervillers: glazes with metallic sheen, iridescent, cast, and flamed effects, ranging from blue to green, violet, and silver. He commissioned several artists associated with the École de Nancy to design the patterns. His name remains closely linked to the Vosges region and early 20th-century art ceramics.

Rambervillers’ flamed stoneware emerged in the wake of Art Nouveau and the École de Nancy. It shares with the École de Nancy a quest for materials and effects inspired by nature (dripping glazes, iridescence, and butterfly-like shimmer). During the interwar period, production shifted toward more understated and curved forms, in the Art Deco spirit, where the streamlined shape allowed the glaze to take center stage. The “Unis France” mark, a collective of French art industries, dates this piece to the 1920s–1930s.

An amphora-shaped vase with a spherical body, a tapered neck, and two handles attached to the neck. It rests on a small ring-shaped foot. It is adorned with a sumptuous iridescent flamed enamel in deep, luminous blues, enhanced by silvery and metallic highlights. The design, featuring flowing strokes and subtle shades, is of exceptional quality, with a true mirror effect that is flawless across the entire piece. Each reflection plays with the light.

Incised signature on the underside of the base: Cytère, Unis France.

Dimensions: height 25 cm
Material: flamed glazed stoneware
Period: circa 1920–1930
Reference: SBX26VAS001

Condition: very good condition, glossy and intact glaze. A few minor chips from normal wear on the base (foot), nothing serious, which do not affect the stability or appearance of the piece.