Clément Massier, Blue-green neoclassical column, Circa 1900, earthenware, Vallauris, France

The Massier business, established in Vallauris since the XVIIIᵉ century, had to wait until the XIXᵉ to privilege the aesthetic over the utilitarian. Delphin (1836-1907) and his brother Clément (1844-1917), then their cousin Jean-Baptiste dit Jérôme fils (1850-1916), were the driving force behind this development. The Massiers owed their success to the systematic use of plaster molds, which enabled the distribution of models, and to the use of glazed earthenware, which allowed for a varied palette of colors. This neo-classical set features an antique baluster vase decorated with a war scene. It stands on a column supported by three feet with stylized tiger heads.