The Owl Vase

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The Owl Vase

Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881 - 1973)

Manufacturer: Madoura Pottery, Vallauris, France

Culture: Spanish

Date: 1951

Medium: Earthenware

Dimensions:

h. 22 in. (55.9 cm); w. 16 in. (40.6 cm)

Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of the Slick Estate

Object number: 73.159.5

Markings: Marked, on interior: Madoura studio stamp / Picasso name stamp / 18 within circle

Label Text

In 1946, Pablo Picasso began working with the Madoura Pottery workshop in Vallauris, Southern France. From 1946 to his death in 1973, his work with Madoura would become a central part of his art practice, producing 633 pieces in limited editions, like this one. Many of his designs featured animals, including goats, birds, and bulls. This vase features an owl design, with the handles playfully positioned as if they are flapping wings, the base of the vase the owl’s claws, and the top lip the owl’s face. The design was perhaps inspired by an episode in 1946 when Picasso and his muse/companion Françoise Gilot rescued an injured owl, with whom Picasso was photographed in 1946. (Yinshi Lerman-Tan, 2020)

Not on view

The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.

Artwork

The Owl Vase

The Owl Vase