Émile Gallé, Ornamental Tray (detail) c. 1878

Émile Gallé, Ornamental Tray (detail) c. 1878, originally uploaded by Gatochy.

Pottery, decoration over glazing. 58 cm in diameter. Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

"Gallé tested the spirit of Japan in his pottery work, as well as all its other capabilities, before going beyond it in the imcomparable quality of his glasses. 'It was from the Japanese art that he drew the general system, the fundamental principles of his style; we shouldn't however think that he imitates that mold in a servile way. There's nothing more different from the Japanese art than Galle's work... He simply adopts the style concept of the Japanese as his own, and then works it using his taste and his knowledge.' (Henri Frantz.)"

Scanned and quoted from the book "Art Nouveau" by Gabriele Fahr-Becker.