Clement Massier: Art Nouveau Enameled Ceramic Plate (c. 1900)

: ENAMELED CERAMIC PLATE REPRESENTING MONT FUJI, CIRCA 1900
CLEMENT MASSIER (1844-1917), Height: 42 cm. (16 ½ in.); Length: 30.5 cm. (11 ¾ in.)Origin: House of Art Nouveau Samuel Bing, Paris., Source: Christie’s

Bing Who?

Samuel Siegfried Bing (1838 – 1905), who usually gave his name as S. Bing (not to be confused with his brother, Samuel Otto Bing, 1850–1905), was a German-French art dealer who lived in Paris and helped introduce Japanese art to the West. Furthermore, Samuel Bing fostered the development of the Art Nouveau style during the late nineteenth century. (1)

The Christie’s auction essay describes Bing’s influence:

“In 1895 Siegfried Bing, the famous [dealer of Japanese art], wanted to change his rue de Provence Parisian shop into a new gallery focusing exclusively on a new style in European decorative arts. Before starting, Bing held an exhibition in London, showing glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany and rich iridescent ceramics by Clément Massier who made a huge impression on the critics at the time.” Source: Christie’s

Le Japon Artistique

“The new gallery opened in October 1895, in rooms decorated with Henry van de Velde furniture and works by Massier. Bing published a monthly journal, Le Japon Artistique, beginning in 1888 and collected into three volumes during 1891”. Source: Christie’s

17Screenshot_2018-11-08 2018_PAR_16843_0059_000(plaque_en_ceramique_emaillee_representant_le_mont_fuji_circa_1900_clem) jpg ([...] — ENAMELED CERAMIC PLATE REPRESENTING MONT FUJI, CIRCA 1900 CLEMENT MASSIER (1844-1917), Height: 42 cm. (16 ½ in.); Length: 30.5 cm. (11 ¾ in.) Origin: House of Art Nouveau Samuel Bing, Paris., Source: Christie’s, (detail).

An Art Nouveau Nod to Hokusai

According to Christie’s, this plaque by Massier from House of Art Nouveau, Samuel Bing, Paris, is “clearly of Japanese influence, for it depicts Mount Fuji amidst a grove adorned with bamboo – a scene most likely taken from Hokusai’s famous woodblock prints, 36 views of Mount Fuji.” (2)

Click for Enlarged Detail:

ENAMELLED CERAMIC PLATE REPRESENTING MONT FUJI, CIRCA 1900 CLEMENT MASSIER (1844-1917), Height: 42 cm. (16 ½ in.); Length: 30.5 cm. (11 ¾ in.) Origin: House of Art Nouveau Samuel Bing, Paris., Source: Christie’s, (detail).

In Summary

This House of Art Nouveau (Samuel Bing),

iridescent, enamel-glazed ceramic is a charger

by artist Clément Massier, probably after designs

“from Hokusai’s famous woodblock prints,

36 views of Mount Fuji.”

Details:

ENAMELED CERAMIC PLATE REPRESENTING MONT FUJI, CIRCA 1900, by CLEMENT MASSIER (1844-1917)

Enameled ceramic plaque depicting Mount Fuji with a bamboo decor, marked in hollow MCM Golfe-Juan and painted signature Clement Massier, Gulf Juan, with a label of S. Bing Art Nouveau on the reverse.
Height: 42 cm. (16 ½ in.); Length: 30.5 cm. (11 ¾ in.)
Origin: House of Art Nouveau Samuel Bing, Paris.
Source: Christie’s