Moustiers, Round Dish Decorated With Grotesque Birds, 18th Century

Beautiful round dish in faience of Moustiers of eventful shape receiving a rich decoration in green shades, made with copper green and manganese brown.
The iconography is composed of two waders and a fantastic butterfly, surrounded by lush vegetation and insects.

The wing is decorated with a green net highlighted with three brown nets. A variety of flowers, plants and dreamlike plants unfurling on the marli are placed on this ribbon.
In the lower and upper parts are two mounds decorated with bulbs from which escape rich flowers and foliage.It dominates the vegetal repertoire, with foliage and flower buds, and the floral repertoire, with blooming flowers.
On both sides take place plants and foliage.

Seeming out of a dream, the grotesque decor of Moustiers transcribe onto earthenware a fantasized world populated by burlesque characters and fantastic animals in an equally dreamlike plant landscape.
The birds appear at Moustiers with the Chinese decoration of Grand Feu enamel, decoration featuring motifs from the Far East, around 1735. They are imaginary birds accompanying the Chinese. They are almost never shown in flight and are usually placed on terraces. They will then be associated with grotesques, which are an evolution of the Chinese decoration, sometimes making up the central element of the decor.

Here the two "birds" seem to disapprove of the introduction of a huge butterfly in their assembly, taking an attitude of curiosity or defense.
They evolve in the lush landscape typical of Moustiers, already present on the Chinese decoration of the early 18th century, whose grotesques are an evolution. The small insects dotted around the scene bring a decorative balance and participate in the burlesque of the scene.

18th century.

Condition report :Perfect original condition. Some cooking air bubbles.