Vintage French Faience Vase Saint Jean du Desert Marseille Cicada Berty 4 inch For Sale

VINTAGE FRENCH FAIENCE VASE SAINT JEAN DU DESERT MARSEILLE CICADA SIGNED BERTY 4INCH
Please review all photos closely as they form part of the description.
This is a small vintage French faience vase from the Saint Jean du Desert pottery of Marseille, hand painted and signed by the noted decorator L. Berty. The piece is finished in the workshop's classic sunny yellow to orange ground glaze, hand decorated in a warm brown wash with a Provencal landscape scene showing hillside pines, a distant tower or monument, and birds in flight. The name Marseille is script painted on the body, and the artist signature appears near the rim.
The defining feature of Saint Jean du Desert pottery is the sculpted cicada, or cigale in French, which the workshop used as a signature relief motif and often as a handle. This piece carries exactly that detail, a hand painted cicada in black, white and gold sitting where the handle meets the body, its banded wings clearly rendered in the workshop's typical style.
Saint Jean du Desert was a faience pottery based in the Saint Jean du Desert district of Marseille, active through the early to mid 20th century and into later decades, well known for Provencal scenes and the cicada motif that has become closely associated with the South of France. Pieces decorated and signed by L. Berty are a recognized and collected part of this workshop's output. This example is a smaller format piece at approximately 4 inches tall, in the cup or small vase form the workshop produced alongside its larger vases.
This would suit a collector of French regional faience, Provencal pottery, cicada or cigale themed decorative items, or Marseille souvenir and travel ceramics.
DETAILS AND SPECIFICATIONS
Height: approximately 4 inches (10 cm)
Origin: France, Marseille, Saint Jean du Desert pottery
Decorator signature: L. Berty, hand painted near the rim
Motif: Provencal landscape with pines, distant tower, and birds, script lettering reading Marseille, sculpted cicada (cigale) at the handle
Cigale: applied and hand painted cicada figure in black, white and gold
Glaze: yellow to orange exterior ground, deep honey brown interior glaze
Base: unglazed cream stoneware footring typical of the workshop, please check photos for any maker stamp
Material: faience, hand thrown and hand painted
CONDITION
Pre owned vintage condition. Please review all photos closely as they form part of the description. Minor age related surface marks, glaze specks, or small nicks may be present, consistent with handmade vintage faience of this age. No cracks are noted at time of listing. As a hand decorated piece, small variations in the painted lines and glaze are original to its production and not defects.
SHIPPING
The item will be carefully packed to protect the glaze and the raised cicada during transit.FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What pottery made this piece and how do I know it is genuine Saint Jean du Desert ware?
This piece is signed by L. Berty, a decorator associated with the Saint Jean du Desert faience pottery of Marseille. The combination of the sunny yellow ground glaze, brown wash Provencal landscape, script Marseille lettering, and especially the sculpted cicada handle detail are all hallmarks of this workshop's output and match documented examples from sale houses and specialist dealers.
Why does this vase have a cicada on it?
The cicada, or cigale, is the signature emblem of Provence and the South of France, and Saint Jean du Desert pottery is particularly known for using a sculpted cicada as a decorative or handle element on its faience. Finding a cicada handle on a Marseille signed piece is one of the clearest identifying features of this workshop.
Is this an old or antique piece, or a later production?
The Saint Jean du Desert pottery produced this style of Provencal, cicada decorated faience from the early 20th century through later decades, so pieces can range from antique to vintage depending on the specific example. This piece has the glaze, hand painting, and base characteristics typical of the workshop's vintage production rather than a modern reproduction.
What is the best way to display or use a piece like this?
Given its small size and cup like form, this piece works well as a bud vase, a small utensil or brush holder, or simply displayed on its own as a piece of collectible Provencal faience alongside other Marseille or South of France pottery.
SHIPPING
The item will be carefully packed to protect the glaze and the raised cicada during transit.
SKU E2