Süe & Mare Tobacco jar glazed earthenware circa 1920

This tobacco jar, made of earthenware and dating from the early 1920s, was designed by Louis Süe and André Mare. It was crafted by Marcel Mérant Faïencerie L’Isle Adam, just outside Paris. It is a round-bellied container with a lid, used to store pipe tobacco. The piece has an ovoid shape, tapering into a circular base. It is entirely covered in a smooth yellow glazed earthenware, giving it a luxurious shine and enhancing its decorative and eye-catching appearance. The lid features pronounced vertical grooves, creating a ribbed pattern. Its rounded top, shaped like a dome, made it easier to handle when opening and closing, while improving the seal. This particular jar was part of a collection displayed in the Fontaine Pavilion at the first International Exposition of Art Deco in 1925.

Literature : Florence Camard, Süe & Mare et la Compagnie des Arts Français, Les éditions de l'amateur, Paris, 1993, similar model found page 258 and page 259.

The two French designers met at the Julian Louis Süe Academy. While almost opposite in terms of their training, tastes and ideas, the painter André Mare (1885-1932) and the architect Louis Süe (1875 -1968) multiplied their collaborations. Breaking with the Art Nouveau aesthetic, their motto was to perfectly combine aesthetics and functionality. After founding the Ateliers français in 1912, they decided to go further in their quest for elegance and refinement, and founded the Compagnie des Arts Français in 1919, a true revolution at the time in the world of furniture and decoration. Many painters, including Dunoyer de Segonzac and Véra, joined this institution which made its mark at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in 1925. André Mare and Louis Süe designed the pavilion of the Museum of Contemporary Art.