Large Atelier Cérenne Ceramic Lamp Base with Sgraffito Nude, Vallauris, c. 1950

At Maisons Rares (an IdeelArt brand), every piece is personally curated: beautiful historical objects from famous French designers and manufacturers, and art from the world over.

This large sculptural lamp base is a striking example of mid-century Vallauris studio ceramics by the celebrated Atelier Cérenne, its graphic sgraffito nude drawn by the workshop’s noted decorator Jacquet.
The bold two-tone gourd form gives it a genuine artist’s presence, far more sculpture than lighting, in perfect step with today’s taste for warm, tactile, hand-made mid-century pieces.

History & Craftsmanship: Atelier Cérenne, Vallauris
The Atelier Cérenne was one of the most important ceramics workshops of post-war Vallauris, the small Riviera town that became the world capital of French studio pottery in the 1950s, in the era of Picasso and Madoura.
Founded by Charles-René Neveux (the name “Cérenne” is a contraction of “CÉramique REné NEveux”), the atelier was active from the mid-1940s until 1958. At its height, it employed some fifty people, including fifteen decorators, producing everything from utilitarian wares to unique decorative pieces for French and international clients.
Cérenne was one of the rare Vallauris workshops to practise, and even encourage, a full cross-signature beneath each piece, naming the atelier, the decorator who drew the design and the thrower who shaped the form. This lamp base carries all three. The decoration is the work of Jacquet, one of Cérenne’s most recognisable hands, celebrated for precisely this motif: stylised female nudes incised in sgraffito on a mirror-black ground, the artist drawing directly through the glossy glaze to reveal the pale clay beneath in a single confident line.

Design & Aesthetics: Graphic Modernism
The form is a bold double gourd. The lower, ovoid body is finished in a deep, glossy black glaze; the upper bulb contrasts with a wiped, textured cream-and-ochre engobe, animated by incised loops and vertical strokes. Against the black, a stylised nude woman kneels in a single fluid sgraffito line, economical, sensual and thoroughly mid-century in spirit.
The interplay of matte and high-gloss, light and dark, gives the piece a strong sculptural presence from every angle. It stands 50 cm (19.7 inches) tall.

Condition & Authenticity
The piece is in perfect vintage condition. It is an original 1950s table lamp, not a later conversion: the base is pierced as originally made to pass the cord, and the neck opening is formed to receive the fitting. The deep black glaze and the crisp incised decoration are beautifully preserved throughout.
It is hand-signed beneath the base with the atelier’s characteristic cross-marking: “Cérenne” for the workshop, “Jacquet” for the decorator, and “Sallaz” for the master thrower who shaped the form.
The attribution is further supported by a documented, near-identical two-tone Cérenne lamp of the same model and dimensions.
This piece is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares, attesting to its attribution, period, materials and condition as assessed by our curators.

Presentation & Use

We supply this piece as bare ceramic, without any electrical fittings or a shade. This lets you wire it to your own local standards and choose a shade perfectly in keeping with your interior.
To help you picture the possibilities, we provide a set of mock-up images showing the lamp dressed with several different shades, from a tall drum to a scalloped or dome form.
It can equally be enjoyed unlit, as a pure sculptural object.
Please note that, because the base is pierced for the cord, it would need to be plugged or sealed before it could hold water as a vase.

Design Context

This is a statement piece, not a background object. Give it room to breathe on a dark timber sideboard, a marble mantel or an entry console, where the graphic nude and the black-and-cream contrast can read clearly.
Fitted with a simple linen or parchment shade, it casts a warm, sculptural glow that flatters both a pared-back contemporary interior and a richly layered, collected one. Display it as a solo accent rather than crowding it with smaller objects.

Technical Specifications

Creator / Manufacture: Atelier Cérenne (Charles-René Neveux), Vallauris; decor by Jacquet, form thrown by Sallaz
Period: Circa 1950 (workshop active c. 1944-1958)
Origin: Vallauris, French Riviera, France
Material: Glazed ceramic (glossy black glaze and wiped cream engobe) with incised (sgraffito) decoration; made as a table lamp, pierced at the base for the cord (original)
Dimensions: Height: 50 cm (19.7 in) Max width: 22 cm (8.7 in)
Style: Mid-Century Modern / Vallauris studio ceramic
Presentation: Supplied as bare ceramic: no electrical fittings and no shade (shade mock-ups provided); may also be displayed as a vase if the base is sealed
Condition: Perfect vintage condition
Authenticity: Signed beneath the base “Cérenne / Jacquet / Sallaz”. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares.