Frédéric Kiefer ( 1894 - 1977 ) 20th century ceramic vase

Baluster vase in blue and spotted beige glazed stoneware, the hemmed collar of a "lizard skin" decor rests on a twisted foot, signed with the stamp under the base and numbered 728.

Ceramist, son and grandson of a potter, he began his apprenticeship in his father's workshop in Diemeringen (Lower Rhine), where his family has been practicing since 1800. He successively worked as a turner at the Beauvais sandstone factory, as a moulder-stamper at the Gentil & Bourdet establishments, and as a plaster modeler at the Renault establishments design office. In 1936, he was hired at the Sèvres Factory where he was the practitioner of the most famous ceramists of the time, including Dalpayrat, Soubdinine, Decoeur, Gensoli and Beyer. In 1947 he was appointed technical professor at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Céramiste and taught there until 1959. Parallel to this career, he pursues personal research on the colorful effects of celadons and red copper slugs, colors transmitted by the Orient, and their use on Western design forms. Since 1930, he participated in many national and international exhibitions and exhibited in various salons and Art galleries in Paris. On several occasions, the State acquired some of his pieces, visible in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Sèvres