Mithé Espelt Ceramic Wall Thermometer with Blue Bird Motif

A charming ceramic wall thermometer by celebrated French ceramist Mithé Espelt, created in the 1960s. This delightful decorative piece features one of Espelt's most recognizable motifs, a stylized bird perched among rounded leaves, rendered in luminous shades of turquoise, sky blue, and deep cobalt.

Executed in glazed ceramic the thermometer beautifully illustrates Espelt's playful yet refined aesthetic. The vibrant crackled glaze of the bird contrasts elegantly with the glossy dark blue background, while the Celsius thermometer remains fully integrated into the design, making the piece both functional and decorative.

Marie Thérèse Espelt, aka. Mithé Espelt (1923-2020)
Born in the town of Lunel, near Montpelier; Mithé Espelt began her career in 1943 creating ceramic buttons for haute couture collections at the Nathalie Pol and Lydia Chartier’s atelier in Paris. In 1946 she decided to return to her hometown and set up her ceramic workshop in an annex building next to the hotel de Bernis that she had inherited from her grandfather. She married the lawyer Maurice Figère, who decided to leave his career aside and follow her in her artistic work. The choice of an artistic life allow them to travel and get inspiration from other cultures, something that is palpable on her works. She made everyday objects such as jewelry boxes necklaces, mirrors and other home accessories, and never signed them, as she wanted them to remain accessible to all publics. Today Mithé’s work are recognizable by the quality of their craftmanship. Her pieces are often made with crackled gold enamels and colored glass incrustations, which were a technical challenges requesting several rounds in the kelns and hours on the work stations. Mithé Espelt worked until the year 2000. Her workshop continues to exist but is now run by her daughter, Marion de Crécy.