Terracotta plaque signed MSD Anne Dangar Moly-Sabata enamelled with double holy water font

Glazed terracotta plaque created by Ann Dangar (1885–1951) within the Moly-Sabata artistic community, founded by Albert Gleizes in Sablons in 1927. The piece features an engraved crucifixion scene, with the symbolism of the four evangelists: in the center, Christ on the cross, framed by stylized animal figures and characters with naïve lines. Two raised holy water fonts occupy the lower part, each decorated with an incised cross. True to her aesthetic blending spirituality, geometry, and popular influences, Anne Dangar explores here an accessible and archaic form of the sacred, nourished by the teachings of Cubism and the rediscovery of vernacular arts. The MSD signature, found on some of Moly-Sabata's works, is well documented in her corpus. This piece was previously restored; however, it is possible to do much better today thanks to current restoration techniques.