Gourd-form Vase

This vase is signed by Taxile Doat, a pioneering ceramic artist who worked in Sèvres, southwest of Paris, from the 1870s, and later in Saint Louis, Missouri from 1909 until 1914. Doat’s fascination with Japanese pottery led him to create novel shapes and experiment with glazing techniques, such as the thickly applied green celadon glaze that drips down the body of this vessel. This gourd-shape vase, inspired by vegetable-shaped Japanese sake bottles and other Asian ceramics, reveals nature in its endless variety, complete with rough textures and irregular, overripe forms.