Jacques BLIN, lamp base with stylised figurative decoration

Jacques BLIN (1920–1995) Lamp base with stylised figurative decoration. Engobed terracotta with incised decoration and oxides. Added electric fitting. Signature on the reverse. France, circa 1955–1965. Dimensions: Height with socket 39 cm / Height without socket 33.5 cm; Base diameter 10 cm / Diameter with handle 11.5 cm / Top diameter 4 cm. The lamp base has an elongated conical shape, resting on a circular base that rises to a narrowed neck extended by a later electric fitting. The silhouette, simple and vertical, is characteristic of the forms developed by the artist in the 1950s–1960s. The surface is entirely animated by a decoration engraved with a point, representing a stylised figure with deliberately simplified features, set within a narrative register. The characters, with marked profiles and schematised limbs, belong to an immediately recognisable iconographic universe, where human figures and decorative motifs coexist in a free and poetic composition. The decoration is treated by incision in the engobe, revealing the dark line against a background of nuanced tones of green, beige, and grey. The upper part features a more free treatment, punctuated by gestural traces and abstract motifs, creating a transition between figuration and abstraction. Jacques BLIN stands out as one of the major figures of post-war French ceramics. From the early 1950s, he developed a unique plastic language based on engraved drawing, often compared to graphic writing, where narration and gesture occupy a central place. This lamp reflects a desire to integrate the object into domestic space while maintaining a strong artistic dimension. The treatment of the decoration, both spontaneous and structured, places this work within the most sought-after production of the artist, particularly for his figurative pieces from the 1950s–1960s.