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Ceramic decoration, glazing, and firing techniques were pursued with a new passion by manufactories, local workshops, and individual artist-potters working in the Art Nouveau style. France took the lead in creating ceramics in the new style, but was joined in ensuing decades by other European makers, as well as Louis Comfort Tiffany in the United States. The preference for porcelain, long considered Europe’s “white gold,” shifted during this period. Stoneware, viewed as a utilitarian form of ceramics, enjoyed newfound recognition at the close of the nineteenth century, particularly in France. They began crafting refined stoneware sculptures and vessels, which displayed a host of experimental glazes and organic forms that served as the focal point of the potter’s creativity. This image was posted on July 08, 2016.

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