Fish and Mermaid Cache-Pot by Jacques Blin, circa 1960

Ceramic cache-pot glazed by Jacques Blin, circa 1960, with a continuous decoration of stylised fish and mermaids. A significant figure in post-war French ceramics, Jacques Blin (1920-1995) established his workshop in the early 1950s and developed a very personal language, combining pure forms, muted-toned glazes, and incised decorations populated with animals and stylised figures. The cylindrical shape is covered in a ochre glaze tinged with brown and black, featuring fish and mermaids drawn directly by incision into the material. Hatching, punctuation, and engraved lines animate their silhouettes and compose a graphic frieze around the entire perimeter of the piece. The ivory-glazed interior provides a bright contrast to the ochre glaze on the exterior. The work of incision and the variations in glaze give each piece its unique character and are among the most recognisable elements of Jacques Blin's work in the 1950s and 1960s. France, circa 1960.