Bidspirit auction | Accolay Ceramic Mask, France, Mid

Accolay Ceramic Mask, France, Mid 20th Century. - Accolay Ceramic Mask, France, Mid 20th Century. Signed. Length: 22cm. Width: 11cm. Accolay was founded by four young artists: André Boutaud, Louis Dangon, Slavic Paley and Raude. As the story goes, the friends left Paris in order to escape forced labor under the German Occupation in 1944. They began studying at the professional college in Cluny in the Burgandy region of France, where they became apprentices to the celebrated ceramicist Alexandre Kostanda. The four friends began by creating ceramic buttons for their own use, and eventually they started an experimental pottery studio in an old factory in the little village of Accolay. Their breakout moment came when a fashion designer by the name of Christian Dior came calling. Mr. Dior ordered 300 of their ceramic buttons for his New Look collection. So began the success of these four friends, and Accolay Pottery. Not only did the artisans produce buttons, but they made jewelry in many different shapes and colors. During the 1950s and 60s, the village of Accolay became a destination for Parisians heading to the Cote d’Azur on holiday. The production of Accolay eventually expanded to include the many different kinds of pieces we see today—decorative dishes, serving bowls, vases and pitchers. The ceramics business thrived until the mid 1970s, but the factory was eventually closed in 1989. (Source: housebeautiful).