Gourd Vase 1893 - 1900

This is a gourd vase, created by Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat. The vase draws you in with its intense shades of red, set against the contrast of flowing vertical lines. Its teardrop body rises smoothly to a slender neck, resembling the form of a gourd. Dalpayrat uses a high-fired stoneware with a distinctive glaze known as "rouge flammé". This experimental glazing technique gives the surface a molten appearance with mottled effects in dark green and brown. Through these aesthetic choices, Dalpayrat destabilizes established meanings. He challenges the traditional symmetry and restraint often found in ceramics, embracing instead the organic and expressive qualities of his material. This piece uses visual components and cultural codes to engage with new ways of thinking about form, texture and perception. Notice how the interplay of color, shape, and material creates a tension between control and chance. This tension functions not just aesthetically but also as part of a larger cultural dialogue about nature, artifice and artistic innovation.