Majolica Tree Stump Planter, Manufacture of Minton, circa 1860/1870

This majolica tree stump planter imitates the Nature. Its center is enameled with a luminous blue which is a characteristic of the English manufacture. This color serves as a signature and brings a very decorative touch to the piece. The subject of this majolica tree stump planter was often declined in other formats and sometimes embellished with animals, as a snapshot of the wildlife of the forests.

The artist succeeded in transcribing in the ceramic the sensation of roughness of the bark, the luster of the leaves and the dampness of the undergrowth. The purpose is not to decline forms inspired by nature as it will be the case later in the Art Nouveau movement that will follow but to seek a perfect illusion, to compete with nature and to deploy all that naturalistic talent that made the fame of the manufacture.