Jean luce for villeroy & boch mettlach, rare art deco blue tea service c

Jean Luce for Villeroy & Boch – Art Deco Tea Service, c. 1925. Elegant and rare tea service in celadon glazed ceramic, attributed to Jean Luce for Villeroy & Boch. The service is distinguished by its pure geometric shapes and spiral-shaped handles, characteristic of the decorative vocabulary developed by Jean Luce in the 1920s. The teapot features a generously rounded body, a short and slightly raised spout, and a spherical lid handle. The cups share the same circular handle motif, giving the whole set a strong formal coherence. The surface is covered with a delicately crackled celadon glaze, whose fine natural cracks subtly enliven the material and enhance the refined character of the ensemble. A related model is preserved in the collections of the Decorative Arts in Paris. The museum notice dedicated to a jug by Jean Luce mentions a service purchased from the designer's shop on Rue de La Boétie in Paris, of which a version decorated with tulips or roses was presented at the Paris Autumn Salon in 1924. This same notice identifies Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach (Germany) as the manufacturer. The documented shape of the jug, particularly its significant spiral handle, shows a particularly interesting relationship with the present service (see 2 screenshots). The service includes 20 pieces: One teapot; One milk jug; Six cups (note 2 chips under the base of 2 cups, see photo); Six saucers; Six dessert plates. A representative set of Jean Luce's research into modern, functional, and decorative ceramics, at the intersection of French Art Deco and the quality industrial production developed by Villeroy & Boch in the interwar period.