A little French Riviera theatre for your table. This handmade, seven-piece Vallauris service pairs a dramatically curved pitcher with six sculptural cups. Glossy chocolate brown and raspberry pink meet cascading turquoise fat lava–style glaze bringing these sculptural forms to life.
The pitcher’s generous circular handle makes a splendid silhouette, while the cups echo its curves with handles that sweep into their bodies. These sculptural handles frame generous openings of negative space and are hollow where they meet the body—a particularly demanding detail. These curved, hollow joins require careful control of wall thickness, drying and firing to preserve their shape without cracking or distortion. Beautifully fluid to the eye, deceptively complex to make.
Beautiful together, delightful individually—a treat for tableware lovers, a memorable gift, and an inspired finishing touch for a designer’s shelves.
Measurements
Pitcher: 10.5 × 7.5 × 5 inches / 26.7 × 19.1 × 12.7 cm.
Includes one pitcher and six matching cups.
Condition
Beautiful vintage condition, with no chips. Variations in shape and glaze lend each handmade piece its own character. Please examine the photographs for surface details.
History of the Maker
Marked “Vallauris,” identifying the celebrated pottery town on France’s Côte d’Azur; the individual workshop is unidentified. Probably dating to the 1950s–1960s, this service reflects the region’s exuberant postwar taste for organic forms and adventurous glazes.
Ways to Use
Serve lemonade, sangria or a leisurely round of aperitifs with considerably more flair. Display the complete service on an open shelf or bar cart for an instant conversation piece.
For an out-of-the-box arrangement, fill the pitcher with flowering branches and scatter the cups along the table with individual blooms. Seven pieces, one wonderfully unexpected centerpiece.
Serve hot chocolate, coffee or tea in the mugs for a playful treat.
Shipping & U.S. Import Duties
The majority of our items are sourced in France and Italy and shipped from Italy. FOR BUYERS RECEIVING SHIPMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES: The policy regarding import duties on goods shipped to the U.S. from the EU has changed multiple times in the past two years, and therefore we cannot predict if you will have to pay a duty to your post man or at your post office to receive your package. We continue shipping to the U.S. so that you still have access to the unique items we source.