Charles Lemanceau Elephant Art Deco Glazed Ceramic Crackle

Elephant in cracked glazed ceramic with a stylized Art Deco shape by Charles Lemanceau, marked "2 - France - 978". Length 37 cm, height 14.5 cm, width 14.5 cm. This ceramic is in good general condition despite a slight crack on the front over six centimeters. Note three small, non-serious chips (see photos). Charles LEMANCEAU, born December 6, 1905 in the 14th arrondissement of Paris and died December 3, 1980 in Trébeurden, is a French sculptor and ceramist known in particular for his bestiary in stoneware, porcelain and cracked art deco earthenware mainly produced in the Saint Clément factory. Born in Paris, Charles Lemanceau studied there. He graduated from the School of Applied Arts and the National School of Decorative Arts in 1923 after having been accepted at the Estienne School and the Boulle School. From 1923, in the wake of the L'Art pour tous movement launched by Victor PROUVE, he worked for the Printemps Primavera art workshops, notably with the sculptor Chassaing, and through his creations for the Saint-Clément earthenware factory as well as for the Sainte-Radegonde earthenware factory or for the Louis Lourioux establishments. In 1925, he exhibited at the Salon d'Automne with Robert Mallet-Stevens, Le Corbusier, Henri Matisse... In 1929, he won the ROBJ competition with a life-size decorative nude. In 1930, he also sculpted a gazelle for La Maîtrise, the art studio of Galeries Lafayette, deer in 1929, greyhounds for Pomone, the art studio of Bon Marché, and a cat for Manufrance in 1931. He is particularly known for his bestiary in crackled enamel and is renowned for the stylization of animal forms. In 1933, he joined La Ruche and remained there until his retirement in 1967.