Vase in the form of a gourd on a stand

Though Taxile Doat specialized in making porcelains with classically inspired decoration at the Sèvres manufactory, he developed more unusual and experimental forms of ceramics at his private studio located nearby. This extraordinary piece plays with open and closed forms, and the contrast between organic imitations of nature and more abstracted forms of decoration. Doat shaped the lidded vase as a gourd, with the pierced lid imitating a conch shell. Incorporating the imperfections of nature as part of his design, Doat has used the warts on the plant’s surface to heighten the textural effects of the layered green glaze. The thickness of the glaze used on the porcelain vase contrasts to the stoneware base, which has a thin iron wash covering its openwork form. Although this piece is incised "Sèvres" at the bottom, it probably represents an example of his private studio work, as the Sèvres manufactory did not allow decorators to individually sign their works.