Pair Early 20th Century French Barbotine Majolica Game Bird Wall Pockets

$4,800

About

Full of color, movement and rustic French character, this striking pair of antique wall pockets is modeled with elaborate hunting and game-bird compositions in deeply sculpted barbotine majolica. Crafted in France circa 1920, each ceramic wall vase features a concealed blue-glazed receptacle surrounded by dramatically modeled birds, foliage and country motifs.

One wall pocket is centered with a colorful rooster accompanied by additional game birds, their overlapping wings rendered in rich shades of burgundy, brown, blue and yellow. Behind them rise ears of corn and broad green leaves, together with a molded hunting horn and suspended rope detail. The companion piece depicts an abundant arrangement of ducks and other waterfowl, including brilliantly glazed blue-winged birds, set among leafy vegetation and additional hunting-inspired elements.

The exceptional high-relief modeling gives the pair a nearly three-dimensional sculptural quality, with projecting wings, heads, tails and foliage creating strong shadows and remarkable visual depth. Turquoise, cobalt blue, emerald green, golden yellow, russet, red and earthy brown glazes are applied beneath a glossy finish, emphasizing the finely modeled feathers and naturalistic details.

Each piece incorporates an open wall pocket behind the birds, allowing the compositions to be displayed with fresh or dried flowers while remaining highly decorative on their own. Their imagery recalls the hunting trophies and game displays traditionally associated with French country houses, hunting lodges and château interiors.

These unusual antique barbotine wall decorations would make a dramatic statement in a kitchen, dining room, wine room, breakfast room or country interior and are particularly appealing to collectors of French majolica and figural ceramics.

Dimensions: each approximately 12” W x 5” D; one 19” H and one 20” H

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