Valentine SCHLEGEL (1925-2021) Bird-shaped vase, circa 1955. Blue-black glazed ceramic proof. Signed "SCHLEGEL" on reverse. H. 25 cm - W. 24 cm - D. 18 cm. Small chips, bubbles and glazing defects. Provenance : Acquired directly from the artist by the current owner's mother. "Valentine Schlegel's pottery, marked by an exacerbated perception of the plant world, often evokes seeds, bulbs, separated from their flowers. With great evocative power, the modelled pieces represent veritable metaphors for the rhizome, the onion of a tulip, the thorn of a rose, the bird that comes to devour its heart or the insect that spreads its pollen. Her pots are designed with the flowers in mind. The shapes are both round and angular, biomorphic and constructed, showing as much the obviousness of the vase as the mystery of sculptural creation." Patrick Favardin