In 1909, in the small village of Vierzon, France (some 130 miles south of Paris), Monsieur René Denert began making pottery with the local, grey clay. His beautiful, Art Nouveau forms were glazed with satisfyingly-velvety drip glazes—the result: delicate shapes cloaked in rustic colors.
In 1921, he was joined by Monsieur R. L. Balichon. The two men combined their assets—as well as their names—to create Denbac Céramique. For such a small workshop in such a small town, Denbac certainly got around! They were represented in the grandest department stores as well as boutiques throughout the country. Denbac enjoyed a brisk export business and often was commissioned by food or liquor makers (such as Cointreau) to create special occasion vessels for their products. Salesmen’s catalogs show the company produced nearly 800 different designs during the company’s lifespan. Products ranged from the pedestrian (like wine jugs for taverns) to the sublime and covered the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods.
The company was shuttered during both World Wars, eventually closing for good in 1952.
The piece above, a “tripartite” bud vase, was made in the Art Nouveau period (1910’s). Please click on the photo to learn more about it.
LEO Design's Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed. While we contemplate our next shop location, please visit our on-line store which continues to operate (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
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