Art Deco vase by Marcel Guillard, Paris, 1930

An elegant testament to the refinement of French Art Deco, this ceramic vase was created in the 1930s by Marcel Guillard for the prestigious Etling publishing house in Paris. Its decoration of stylized flowers in low relief is enhanced by a glossy glaze with fine golden crackles, giving the piece a subtle and sophisticated sheen. The tiered neck and the interplay of materials—between luminous gilding and a delicately textured blue-gray frieze—illustrate the full mastery of Marcel Guillard (1896–1932), an artist as admired for his paintings as for his ceramic creations. His signature is engraved in relief on the base. A rare piece, in superb condition, embodying the very essence of Parisian elegance of the 1930s.