Ceramic signed Hofmann Gérard, Vallauris, manganese red

Wonderful! This is the word that best describes this ceramic, in my opinion. A beautiful black earthenware ceramic with a magnificent thick glaze of a beautiful dark red color that reveals the roughness of the earth, giving this piece a lot of character and charm. A color that has a name, "manganese red, " of which Gérard Hofmann, the ceramist who created and signed this piece ("Hof" incised under the base), was the great specialist. The photos do not accurately depict the color of this ceramic; in reality, it is a darker red. After starting his career in painting, Hofmann turned to ceramics. He began as a decorator in the Cérenne workshop in Vallauris, a studio he left in 1959 to create his own workshop with his wife, still in Vallauris. He also worked with Fernand Léger in Biot. This piece can therefore be dated to the very early 1960s, as it was created in his own workshop and before 1965 (date of his death) and even a little earlier because towards the end, he replaced his manganese red with an orange (it was impossible to obtain manganese red that met the new standards in force). This ceramic is probably a fondue pot, but it is above all a very beautiful decorative piece in its own right, to display alone or to complete a collection. It is in very good condition, with no cracks or chips, just slight wear on the bottom of the pot (small, barely visible scratches; I think it was used as an ashtray in its previous life!). This ceramic pot measures 17 cm in length from handle to spout, 11 cm in width, 7 cm in height at the container, and 13 cm in height at the handle.