In the mid-19th century, potters at the Sèvres porcelain manufactory, while attempting to reproduce the Chinese technique of making vases, achieved unexpected results by perfecting the pâte-sur-pâte method. This method involves applying several layers of liquid clay mass to the unfired surface of the product using a brush. The technique is very labor-intensive, and may require several weeks of step-by-step decoration, layer by layer, before the object is finally fired.
The pâte-sur-pâte method was used in the work of the French artist Taxile Doat. In 1877, the ceramist got a job at the Sèvres manufactory, where he worked until 1905, actively contributing to the introduction of the Art Nouveau style. After Sèvres, Doat, along with Frederick Reed and Adelaide Robineau, was invited to teach at the Academy of Art in St. Louis. The master brought with him more than 170 works and in the following years continued to create porcelain works in his own style. He did not abandon pâte-sur-pâte and at the same time made serial pieces in small editions using molds.
In 1905, Doat published the book "High-temperature ceramics" (Céramiques de grand feu), in which he outlined his own discoveries in the field of pottery. His book and his work at the Academy of Art in St. Louis had a great influence on young artists who used his methods in their studios. A small collection of Doat's objects is exhibited in the Musée d'Orsay. These are mainly vases decorated with multi-colored patterns, as well as paperweights, a plate with a putto, etc.
Source:
musee-orsay.fr
