Pair of Covered Jars (Pots de tabac)
c. 1779–1789
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration; metal mount
Dimensions
h. 14 cm · diam. 9.6 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Norweb Collection
Accession Number
1964.517
Tags
About this artwork
Due to the discovery of the ingredient kaolin in Saint-Yrieix, France in 1768-69, European porcelain factories were able to replicate the prized hard-paste porcelain of China and Japan. In the years following, many porcelain factories opened in the area, including Faubourg Saint-Denis in 1772. These jars, sold alone or in sets, would have stored snuff, powdered tobacco meant to be inhaled, or loose tobacco for smoking.
About the Artist
Faubourg Saint-Denis (French)
Georges Hugnet (1906–1974) was a multifaceted French artist, poet, writer, and critic whose innovative collages and graphic works bridged Dada and Surrealism. Born in Paris on July 11, 1906, he spent much of his early childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, returning to France around 1913. His early life and artistic training remain sparsely documented, with no records of formal art school attendanc...