Alexandre BIGOT (1862-1927). Brown enameled stoneware rectan - Lot 167

Alexandre BIGOT (1862-1927). Brown enameled stoneware rectangular tile featuring an ermine and the Brittany ermine symbol. Tower mark "Grès de Bigot" on reverse. Art Nouveau period (Dim.: 24.5 x 22.5 cm - Thickness: 4 cm) (a chip on the obverse). "Alexandre Bigot (1862-1927) was undoubtedly the most extravagant ceramist of his time. His flamed glazes, with their warm, varied tones obtained by firing stoneware in a large fire, owe their success to his scientific training. A Doctor of Science and professor of physics and chemistry at prestigious engineering schools, notably the Ecoles des Mines, his passion for ceramics led him to produce a variety of stoneware ornamental pottery covered with the glazes resulting from his incessant research. In 1897, he set up his own factory near his native village of Mer in the Loir-et-Cher region, producing both one-off pieces and mass-produced models, some of them clearly influenced by the proximity of the Château de Chambord, built on the initiative of François 1er. Its emblem, the salamander, appears in the Bigot catalog, along with other heraldic-inspired motifs such as dolphins and ermine". (Source : ceramiquearchitecturale.fr)