Clément Massier (signed), Iridescent vase with umbrella pines, circa 1900, tin-glazed earthenware, Golfe Juan, France

This ovoid vase is covered with a remarkable iridescent glaze. The potter skillfully played with this glaze to suggest a sketched motif of umbrella pines, very close to brush and ink paintings originating from China. The iridescence is such that it reveals all the colors of the rainbow. Metallic luster is a glazing technique whose iridescent effect is achieved thanks to metallic oxides incorporated into the glaze. Light reflects off these suspended metallic particles, creating subtle effects of iridescent colored shine.