Sun With Cat Ashtray By Jean Marais

This very original ashtray made up of two concentric pieces, one of which represents a cat, was entirely made by Jean Marais in Vallauris.
Born in 1913 in Cherbourg under the name of Jean Alfred Villain-Marais, Jean Marais is famous for his career as an actor, director and writer. Passionate about Jean Cocteau, he was also, like his friend, painter, sculptor and potter.
It was in 1973, at the age of sixty, that Jean Marais retired to the Alpes Maritimes and took up pottery, making a potter friend who helped him to better master his art. When asked why he was no longer shooting (in the movies), he would reply, "I have never filmed so much in my life!" "
His daring and courage soon led him to open his first gallery in Vallauris in 1975, saying “I am a craftsman, not an artist. Art attracts me, fascinates me. The following year, he opened another store in Paris.
From 1986, he took part in the Vallauris Pottery Festival, notably by creating the poster for the event. This prestigious host brings his enthusiasm and talent to the town.
He died in Cannes in November 1998 and is buried in the small cemetery of Vallauris, the city of potters, where he spent the last years of his life.

Source: Wikipedia