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

Joseph MOUGIN (1876-1961), rare Pin d'Afrique vase, circa 1930, glazed molded stoneware with vitrified decoration, H 29 cm, signed. Lunéville workshop 1924-1936.
The number composed of 3 figures in black is repeated on pieces with a single 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 would start again at 0....
Listed in the book: PEIFFER J.G, Les frères Mougin sorciers du grand feu, Dijon, éditions Faton, 2001.
After attending the école des Beaux-Arts in Nancy and an apprenticeship with sculptor Pierron, Joseph Mougin joined sculptor Barrias' studio at the école des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1896. He was joined in 1898 by his brother Pierre, and together they began their career as ceramists. After a difficult start in Paris, they returned to Nancy in 1906 and produced works in the Art Nouveau style. Complete artists, they trained themselves in all the stages of their art, from the preparation of the basic materials to the delicate firing of their works. Initially designing their own models, they later called on the services of other artists, including Victor Prouvé, Ernest Wittmann and Alfred Finot, as well as numerous Art Deco artists. The Mougin brothers' creations, which oscillated between Art Nouveau and Art Deco, left their mark on the history of the decorative arts.