Signed Jean Austruy Brutalist Lava Glaze Covered Jar, Vallauris, C. 1960

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 covered jar is a major and rare piece of form by Jean Austruy, created during his most sought-after Vallauris period, circa 1960 — and, exceptionally, it has survived complete: original lid, intact finial, sculptural handles, flawless glaze.

History & Craftsmanship: Jean Austruy at Vallauris

Jean Austruy settled in Vallauris in 1947, at the height of the village's artistic effervescence, when Picasso, Capron and Picault were reinventing French ceramics on the French Riviera. Trained at the Beaux-Arts, he developed a highly personal style at the crossroads of utilitarian art and sculpture, and became known for the complexity of his incised decors and the layering of richly textured glazes. His covered pieces of form — urns, jars, lidded pots — are among the most distinctive productions of the Vallauris golden age.

Design & Aesthetics: Primal Geometry and Volcanic Matter

The cylindrical body and domed lid are deeply carved with geometric chevrons, arches and waves — a graphic vocabulary that evokes primal and parietal art, one of Austruy's signatures. Over this sculpted relief flows a spectacular textured glaze in copper-red and brown, speckled with dark oxide projections in the "fat lava" manner; the ridges of the incisions catch a metallic sheen that gives the surface extraordinary depth. Two broad, organically shaped handles frame the body, and the lid rises to its original sculpted finial.

Lift the lid and the contrast is pure Vallauris studio refinement: the interior is dressed in a smooth, glossy ivory glaze with a fine, regular crackle network — rustic strength outside, softness within.

Condition & Authenticity

This piece is in perfect condition - a genuine rarity for covered jars of this period, as a large share of them have lost their lids over the decades. The lid and its finial are intact, with no chips or hairlines to the inner rim; the two handles are perfectly sound, with no tension cracks at the attachment points; and the interior ivory glaze shows only its original, healthy crackle, with no staining or infiltration - evidence that the jar has been kept as a purely decorative object.

Fully authenticated, it bears the characteristic cursive signature "Austruy" painted in black oxide under the base.

Like all pieces from our collection, this item comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares.

Design Context:

With its crater-like silhouette and broad sculptural handles, this jar commands attention like a small antique urn. Place it at the centre of a raw wood coffee table or on a brushed-metal console where its graphic presence becomes an immediate focal point. It comes alive against soft, light materials — pale linens, travertine, limewashed walls — which throw the rugged, volcanic texture of the glaze into relief. A natural anchor for Mediterranean brutalist, mid-century and wabi-sabi interiors.

Technical Specifications

- Creator: Jean Austruy (French), Vallauris
- Type: Large covered jar (pot couvert) with two handles and original lid
- Period: Circa 1960
- Origin: Vallauris, France
- Material: Glazed ceramic — textured copper-red and brown "lava" glaze with dark oxide speckling; glossy ivory crackled glaze interior
- Dimensions: Height: 23 cm (9 in) Width across handles: 25 cm (9.8 in)
- Style: Mid-Century Brutalist / Vallauris / Mediterranean Modern
- Condition: Perfect condition — complete with original lid and finial; no chips, cracks or restorations
- Authenticity: Cursive signature "Austruy" painted in black oxide under the base. Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Maisons Rares. Part of the Maisons Rares collection.