Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.13539

Théodore DECK, Ornamental dish with flowers and a red butterfly on an aubergine background

This glazed ceramic dish made by Théodore Deck (1823-1891) after 1870 is decorated with a multitude of colourful flowers and a butterfly on an aubergine background.

Théodore Deck initially trained as a stove maker. When he set up in Paris on his own account in 1858, he made stove linings and then, on the strength of his success, moved into ceramics. The studio produced many dishes in collaboration with well-known painters. Deck gradually perfected his technique and enjoyed great success at the many World’s Fairs he took part in. In 1878, he was made an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur. He ran the Sèvres factory between 1887 and his death in 1891.

This dish bears witness to the influence of Asian art on the artist's work from the 1870s onwards: The branches, leaves and flowers are stylised, as they might be in Japanese prints; the artist often drew inspiration from extreme oriental essences for his representations; and the butterfly fluttering between the flowers is a symbol of happiness and immortality in Japanese culture. Some of the leaves show shades of the famous "Deck blue".

Stylized plants and butterflies can also be seen on a large dish with a very elaborate background, executed around 1875 and now in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.