Camille
Faure Art Deco Enamel Vases
The Camille Fauré studio was among art deco collectors
always surrounded by mystery as very little documentation
was available.
Many scholars wondered for many years why hardly any avant
garde and artistic magazines of the art deco era ever displayed
the eork coming from the small studio set in the Limoges aera,
France. As it turns out, the production of enameled vase is
certainly unique among the history of decorative arts.
Camille Fauré founded his small Atelier in 1911 in
Limoges, a city which was since the middle-age know for its
enamel work. His work was found in a couple of gallerys during
the 1920s in Paris and his daughter André played a
major role in the production of the most fascinating pieces
ever made. She took over the post of chief desgner and her
work is profoundly marked by the artistic movements that sprawled
throughout the 1920s and 1930s, among other cubism, suprematism
and the modernist painters like Sonai Delaunay and Kandinsky.
Fauré took part to the 1925 Exposition des Art décoratifs
et Industriels in Paris, which is also the reason why many
of its vase are directly linked with the Art Deco era. Yet
the reviews from journalists who saw the work exhibited were
disappointed as the style was still very classical if not
art nouveau as opposed to what nowadays we know of the 
style
of the Faure vases.
What is certain in the meantime is that the vase production
spanned a very long period going well into the 1990s. The
production followed many style directions and even a return
during the 1950s to a more common (understand more popular
taste), floral type of pattern. The 1960s saw a revival in
the production as a parisian art deco dealer saw an opportunity
in revitalizing many older models which he ordered in large
quantities at the Atelier.
The technique used by the Fauré remains a remarkable
feat. The copper vases which served as the basis were custom
made by the nearby metal spinning factory of Emdond Allain.
Copper was the ideal material as it would expande just as
much as the enaml during the heating process in the furnace.
Then transparent enaml were applied as a protective layer
inside and outside of teh vase, A silver or gold foi was applied
on the base which allowed for the brilliance achieved through
the enamel layers once the product has reached its final stage.
Then came the design itself, drawn on paper then marked on
the vase by holding the paper against the vase and marking
the contours. The enamel, which consistence is like thick
grit was then cold applied with a kind of small spatula in
layers according to the pattern to achieve.
The
process would take weeks to build up as each layer would have
to be fired before the next layer could be applied. A special
feature of the Fauré vase are the perfect line or curves
drawn with the enamel, a feat which could only be achieved
by using the techniques of cubist painters. Before the final
firing, some the vases manufactured before the 1950s underwent
this process as some of the thickest layers were partly milled
or incised to give sharp edges. The final firing would then
slightly melt the hard edges.
It s not very clear how many vases were produced as the figures
started only around 1930. It is sait that about 12000 vases
left the factory of which 85% bore floral and figurative designs.
Many of the vases didn t come to completion during the manufacturing
process as many didn t survive the many firing processes (at
least 15 times).
So how can one recognize the differences between the 1920s
pieces and the more recent ones. One of the key factor is
the quality of the craftmanship, that is the sharp edging,
the complexity of the design and the quality of the enameling
which can only be assessed if you get a close look. Another
factor are the carbon deposits as in the early years a coal
furnace was used as opposed to an electric oven later.
Check also for the bottom: early pieces had a flat bottom,
the later would have a spinned piece in which the vase literally
sits in, also these are not perfectly flat.
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