Jacques Blin, service to orangeade

Jacques BLIN (1920–1995) Orangeade service, circa 1955. Glazed ceramic with engraved decoration, comprising a jug and seven cups. Signed J. Blin under the base. The orangeade service consists of a baluster-shaped jug, resting on a slight circular foot and equipped with a side handle in the form of a stirrup, accompanied by eight slightly flared conical cups. The whole is covered with a remarkable glaze in cobalt blue, petrol blue, and black tones, whose cloud-like effects and variations in firing give each piece a unique character. The cups are highlighted, under the rim, by an engraved frieze of small stylised motifs that also run around the neck of the jug. The interiors, left in glossy ivory glaze, offer an elegant contrast to the deep-toned outer surfaces. Each element bears the incised signature J. Blin under the base. Analysis and commentary: This service perfectly illustrates Jacques BLIN's utilitarian production during the 1950s, a period during which the ceramist profoundly renewed the aesthetics of post-war French ceramics. Trained as a chemical engineer before fully dedicating himself to ceramics, BLIN developed an exceptional mastery of glazes early on, with the subtle effects of material becoming one of the signatures of his work. Bibliography: Christine Lavenu, Jacques Blin, ceramist and bearer of stories, Paris, 2019; Vianney Frain, History of the Jacques Blin workshop, Éditions du Quai des Marais, Amboise, 2016.