Mithé Espelt, mirror "Chevêche"

Mithé ESPELT (1923-2020), Mirror "Little Owl" Lunel workshop, France, circa 1965. Stamped earthenware with slightly raised decoration, brown and cracked ivory glazes, gold highlights, and mirror. Rectangular wall mirror in stamped earthenware with softened corners, featuring a stylised little owl. Organised around a central circular mirror, the composition highlights a head with accentuated proportions: large eyes in cracked ivory glaze with a black cabochon and a small triangular beak. The slightly raised wings symmetrically frame the mirror, while the body is animated with stamped circular patterns enhanced with gold. Two stylised claws complete the ensemble. Analysis and commentary: Trained at the Beaux-Arts in Montpellier, Mithé ESPELT settled in Lunel in the late 1940s. Distanced from industrial circuits, she developed a small-scale artisanal production of handmade objects (jewellery, boxes, mirrors). Rejecting standardisation, she offers each piece unique variations of glazes and gold highlights. Created around 1965, the "Little Owl" model is part of her emblematic series of zoomorphic mirrors. Far from naturalism, the bird becomes a simple and essential decorative motif, blending geometry and softness of lines — a synthesis representative of Mithé ESPELT's style. Bibliography: Antoine Candau, Mithé Espelt: The Discreet Luxury of Everyday Life, Odyssée Editions, 2020.