Stoneware vase by Eugène Lion, Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye

Cylindrical vase with flared neck in glazed stoneware, made by the ceramist Eugène Lion (1867-1945), a key figure of the Carriès school in Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye. The shape, simple and expertly turned, is covered with a deep brown glaze, animated by darker drips and reflections characteristic of Poyaud stoneware. Born in 1867 in Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye, Eugène Lion comes from a lineage of potters established in the region since the 18th century; he learned the trade from his father, Amand Lion. When the sculptor Jean Carriès arrived in Puisaye in 1887, it was he who introduced Lion to the traditional techniques of local utilitarian pottery, becoming an essential link between the creator and the artisans of the village. He would retain a lasting taste for experimentation and Japonisme influence. He became one of the main representatives of the Carriès school, recognised for his intricate glazes (notably a copper-red developed in the 1920s) and his aesthetic close to wabi-sabi. He died in 1945. His work is preserved notably at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. He is referenced as a major artist in the book Grès de Puisaye – From Jean Carriès to the Present – Marks and Signatures. Condition: Perfect condition. Note: a small firing attachment at the base, not visible. Dimensions: H 11.7 cm X diameter 7.5 cm. Material: Glazed stoneware. Signature: Eugène Lion.