Paul St. Gaudens (American, 1900-1954), Rare Blue Glazed Pottery Vase

Lot Details & Additional Photographs

Made in Candler, North Carolina, circa 1925, during St. Gauden's studies with Oscar Bachelder (Wisconsin / NC, 1852-1935), incised artist cipher and inscribed "CANDLER" to the underside, wheel-thrown bulbous form with round foot, featuring an everted rim with two loop handles, and an exceptional streaky deep blue-violet glaze.

7 1/4 x 8 x 8 in.

The piece here exhibits a strong influence of Roman vessels, possibly inspired by St. Gaudens's trip to Rome in the 1920s.

Paul St. Gaudens was an innovative ceramicist and pioneering member of the American art pottery movement of the early 20th century. As the nephew of the renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) and son of sculptors Louis and Annetta St. Gaudens, Paul St. Gaudens started his artistic career at a young age.

Both Paul St. Gaudens and his mother Annetta shared their interest in the ceramic arts and they explored the medium together. In 1918, Paul and Annetta St. Gaudens grew their talents while working with the renowned potter Frank Applegate in Plainfield, NH. In 1921, Paul and Annetta St. Gaudens established their own kiln in Cornish: Orchard Kiln Pottery. The kiln remained in operation from 1921 to 1944.

St. Gaudens’s artistic training would take him all around the country and beyond. He studied ceramics in many locations including the Museum of Fine Arts School of Drawing and Painting in Boston, the Trenton School of Industrial Arts in New Jersey, and Omar Khayyam Pottery in Luther (Candler), North Carolina under Oscar Bachelder. Paul and Annetta St. Gaudens also travelled to Europe in 1922 to gain a deeper understanding of their own practices.

Paul St. Gaudens created a vast scope of work over his lifetime, including ceramic flower pots, tiles, figurines, and plates; many of these reside in the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park collection today. St. Gaudens mixed his own glazes, creating vibrant colors that are present throughout all his work. He was also deeply interested in Mayan, Persian, and African motifs from his travels with his mother.

In 1936, St. Gaudens married a fellow artist, Margaret Parry. They settled in Florida, where Margaret worked on her jewelry and Paul and Annetta worked on their ceramics. St. Gaudens also had his own studio in Coconut Grove, Florida: Pelican Pottery. He was very impacted by the death of his mother in 1943 and quietly divorced Margaret in 1948. During the last few years of his life, Paul St. Gaudens wrote many articles and publications that transcribed his technical knowledge and thoughts on the craft. On February 1, 1954, Paul St. Gaudens died from Hodgkin’s Disease.

Sources:

National Park Service (nps.gov)

Alice Van Leer Carrick. “The Orchard Potteries.” Country Life, January 1926, page 50.

Good estate condition.