Accolay French Ceramic Vase or Vessel, Manner of A. Kostanda, 1960s

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Description

Beautiful handcrafted midcentury vase or vessel from Accolay with a very eye catching design.
Stamped Accolay. The colors and design … Read more Beautiful handcrafted midcentury vase or vessel from Accolay with a very eye catching design.
Stamped Accolay. The colors and design fits perfectly with almost any color scheme.

This beautiful piece is in perfect condition, no cracks or chips.
Measures: 9" H x 9 3/4" W x 5 1/2" D

Under the term Poterie d'Accolay, we group together the production of a community of potters settled in the village of Accolay, in the department of Yonne. This production center was created by four former students of Alexander Kostanda.

Active from 1945-1983, their pottery is distinguished by a great technical inventiveness and an extremely abundant production. The pottery community exploited the proximity of the National 6 (can be compared to Route 66 in the USA) by investing in the service stations to make permanent exhibition places on the circuit of migration of Parisian tourists. Their exhibition buildings, inspired by the construction of the 24h circuit of Le Mans, became the obligatory stage for holiday makers in transit. The National 6 joins the 7 known as the sun route.

This form of marketing continued at the entrance to Vermenton until the closure of factories in 1983. The creation of the Lyon motorway had however for several years derived the flow of tourists.

The forefather Alexandre Kostanda (Dec 1921 - Nov 2007) was born in Poland of Russian parents. The family emigrated to Lorraine in France, where his mother Irene worked as a decorator in a porcelain factory. They then moved to Vallauris, where his mother worked at Louis Giraud's workshop. Alexandre joined the company as an apprentice from 1936-1938. After the war he taught pottery at the Longchamps Pottery Training Section near Dijon and at the School of Decorative Arts in Beaune. He also had his own studio at Cluny and it was here that he trained the four young men who were to form the Accolay Pottery company - Dangon, Rodet, Palais and Boutaud. He returned to Vallauris in 1949 to run the Giraud pottery until he opened his own studio in 1953.

His work often has a rustic appearance and he used clay from Cluny mixed with local Vallauris earth. He had exceptional technical expertise. Kostanda was instrumental in organizing the ceramic shows, now known as the Vallauris Biennale. His son Alexis is also a potter.

This beautiful piece is in perfect condition, no cracks or chips. See less