French artist primarily known for his paintings and  tapestries, Jean Lurçat (1892-1966)  also worked with ceramics at the Sant Vicens studio, created by Firmin Bauby in 1942 near Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Bauby encountered the work of Jean Lurçat and sensed that his patterns could be well adapted to the ceramics. In 1951, Jean Lurçat joined the studio and started decorating  dishes, tiles, pitchers and vases. This collaboration ensured the success of the pottery studio. 

Lurçat uses shiny and matte grand feu enamels on satin grounds. The use of this palette of brilliant enamels is one of the peculiarities of his ceramic production.

Our ceramics were produced between 1953 and 1965. They are signed by the artist on the back along with the name of the studio. 

Designed in 1953, the "Orkidea" was awarded a Grand Prix at the 10th Milan Triennale in 1954. It was declared "the most beautiful object of the year" by House Beautiful magazine that same year.  Initially conceived as a glass sculpture, it remains one of the most iconic designs made by Iittala glasswork. 

While Wirkkala’s earlier designs reflected the utilitarian beauty of Finnish functionalism, from the 1950’s onward his aesthetic was rooted in the natural world. He bonded Finnish rural simplicity to universal elegance, sensitivity and discernment and managed to maintain the balance between craftsmanship and industrial techniques to create objects for the home that feature both a sculptural aspect and a scientifically researched functionalism.