Ashtray signed by André Chaudemanche at Mezeray in Malicorne clay.

Charming ashtray accompanied by a… hammer! Perhaps to extinguish cigarettes or to tap on a pipe to empty it. Very surprising in any case! The whole piece is made of ceramic glazed in lovely mixed colours of turquoise and black, a typical glazing of André Chaudemanche's work, signed underneath with the letters AC in a jug. André Chaudemanche was a renowned ceramist who worked in Mezeray near Malicorne from 1945 to 1971, in his workshop "Artistic Pottery of Maine" which he set up in the stables of the café he bought with his wife. The story of this potter, who was also a musician and actor, and his family is fascinating; I invite you to discover it by doing some research online. The whole is in generally good condition, no cracks, just a small chip on the glaze at the edge of the ashtray. The ashtray measures 13 cm on each side, 4 cm in height, and the hammer measures 10 cm in length.