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Wall plaque with salamander

ca. 1895–1897
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 521
A French chemistry professor-turned-ceramist, Alexander Bigot was a prominent figure in the field of architectural ceramics. Initially inspired by East Asian pottery, Bigot often incorporated lively reliefs of aquatic fauna into his stoneware. On this plaque, a partially submerged lizard emerges from a pool of glaze, and the surface bubbles and froths like mud. Typical of the Art Nouveau style that swept through the Belle Époque period, motif and form blend seamlessly into one – representing both the fascination with nature and the advances in decorative technique of this time.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Wall plaque with salamander
  • Designer: Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon) (1855–1922)
  • Maker: Alexandre Bigot (French, Mer, Loire-et-Cher 1862–1927 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1895–1897
  • Culture: French, Mer
  • Medium: Glazed stoneware
  • Dimensions: confirmed: 1 1/16 × 9 1/8 in. (2.6 × 23.2 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics-Pottery
  • Credit Line: Gift of Martin Eidelberg, 2022
  • Object Number: 2022.421.2
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Joan of Arc, Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon), Bronze uniface medal, French
Joan of Arc
Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon)
1918
Liege Colonne du Droit contre La Violence, Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon), Bronze uniface medal, French
Liege Colonne du Droit contre La Violence
Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon)
1914
Sea Algae (Algues Marines), from "L'Estampe Originale", Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon), Gypsograph in two colors
Sea Algae (Algues Marines), from "L'Estampe Originale"
Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon)
André Marty
1893
The Salamander (La Salamandre), from "L'Estampe Originale", Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon), Lithograph in two colors
The Salamander (La Salamandre), from "L'Estampe Originale"
Pierre Roche (pseudonym of Fernand Massignon)
André Marty
1895
The Infanta, Jean-Joseph Carriès French, Glazed stoneware, French, Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye
The Infanta
Jean-Joseph Carriès
ca. 1890–94

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