This sculptural pan flute in bisque with polychrome decoration is an important piece by master French ceramicist Taxile Doat.
The flutes decorated with faux-braided band and intricate ropework, with decorative elements in matte green, resting on three-dimensional feet formed by highly articulated pine cones and needles.
This exceptional piece was produced just around the time that Doat officially parted ways with the Sèvres National Manufactory where he had been employed since 1977. It was exhibited by Doat at the Paris Salons in 1906 shortly before he departed for his brief tenure in the United States.
A similar example is illustrated in the early 20th century periodical Art et Décoration, volume XIX, p. 199.
Height: 7 inches (17.8 cm)
Width: 9 inches (22.9 cm)
Exhibited:
La Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1906
Illustrated:
Duncan, Alastair. The Paris Salons 1895-1914 Volume IV: Ceramics & Glass. Antique Collectors' Club, 1998. Pg. 189.