French or Belgian Art Deco Surrealist Eyeball or Target Vase c1930

  

French or Belgian Art Deco/Surrealist Eyeball or Target Vase. Spherical on a low foot with a small mouth having a simple ringed rim; concentric ringed bands around the body to add structure; decorated in pale blue and black over an off-white ground; the glaze has a craqueleur finish, integral to the design - see below. Indistinct hand painted under-glaze numerals in black - possibly 171. 16.7 cm in height to top of rim; 15.8 cm in diameter. A little wear to the underside of the foot-rim, otherwise excellent.

We were initially a little nonplussed by the'surrealist' label which had been attributed to this piece;'art deco' is fine, as this can refer to a time period as well as just a style, and this fits exactly with the date of manufacture. However, we then realised that we could reference the seminal surrealist film collaboration between Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali from 1929. Which is renowned for its'eyeball slitting' scene, when Bunuel takes a razor blade to the eye of his wife. With this in mind, the craqueleur finish to the glaze can be seen to replicate the fine blood vessels which can be seen on the surface of eyes. It may also be considered surrealist in that there is an iris on both side of the ball.

On something of a roll, it then becomes obvious that we can - for once - cast aside the heavy, dark cloak of antiquarian fustiness and also note that the song. References the same film in it's lyrics. Furthermore, you will be able to deduce from this fact that the privilege of choosing the background music played at The Pantiles Arcade is not shared equally amongst every member of staff.

I have been involved in the antiques business since 1971. My career took a leap forward when I joined Bonhams in 1976. Some five years later I became head of the Decorative Arts department. This item is in the category "Pottery, Ceramics & Glass\Decorative Pottery, Ceramics & Glass\Vases". The seller is "eric-knowles-the-hoard" and is located in this country: GB. This item can be shipped worldwide.

1. Brand: Target
2. Type: Vase
3. Style: Art Deco
4. Year Manufactured: 1930