Joseph MOUGIN, Art Deco ‘African Pine’ vase cast stoneware, circa 1930

Joseph MOUGIN (1876-1961), rare African Pine vase, circa 1930, molded stoneware with glazed decoration, H 29 cm, signed. Lunéville workshop 1924-1936.



The number, made up of 3 black digits, is repeated on pieces with unique enameling. Joseph Mougin kept a workshop notebook in which he recorded the composition of certain enamels, but it is difficult to refer to it because once he reached 999, he started again at 0....



Listed in the book: PEIFFER JG, The Mougin brothers, sorcerers of the great fire, Dijon, Faton editions, 2001.



After attending the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy and apprenticing with the sculptor Pierron, Joseph Mougin entered the studio of the sculptor Barrias at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1896. He was joined in 1898 by his brother Pierre, and together they began their activity as ceramists. After a difficult start in Paris, they returned to Nancy in 1906 and produced works in the Art Nouveau style. As well-rounded artists, they trained in all stages of their art, from the preparation of the basic materials to the delicate firing of the works. Initially producing their own models, they later called upon other artists, including Victor Prouvé, Ernest Wittmann, and Alfred Finot, as well as numerous Art Deco artists. The Mougin brothers, with their creations, which oscillate between Art Nouveau and Art Deco, have left their mark on the history of decorative arts.