This exceptional vase stands a monumental 22" high by 11" in diameter and it weighs 22.5 pounds. Many French Impressionist painters in the 1870s-1880s produced pottery in the Barbotine style of faience-decorated objects with copious amounts of flowers and leaves, many in three-dimensional form. While the Barbotine style was produced in several areas of France, many of the artists were located in Choisy Le Roy outside Paris, France between the 1870s-1880s. The French Barbotine style was introduced by the French, at the Philadelphia 1876 Exposition. It caught on like wildfire! Soon many countries, including the United Stated began producing their version of Barbotine wares with Impressionistic decorations. French artists Jean-Marie Pointu, Massier, and Edouard Gilles were considered masters of this form of art pottery, each vessel one-of-a-kind, and painted as if they were a canvas. Charles Haviland, the Limoges porcelain manufacturer, opened his Auteuil Studio in Paris around 1872. Under the direction of Félix Bracquemond, the etcher and friend of the impressionist painters, the Auteuil Studio briefly produced "Barbotine" wares. This vessel is well signed 'M. Hard' on the side of the artwork, so perhaps this artist worked at the Auteuil Studio. He decorated this vessel in the impressionist style of the day using large and bold, fully dimensional Wild Rose blossoms in full bloom on the front of the vase with buds and leaves. He added thick branches and large leaves to the frontal decoration filling the front of the pot. He used a colorful palette over a lovely blue ground, which is laced with white, almost as if it was mimicking the sky and shading to a cobalt blue near the base. This vase is signed by the artist on the side, and there are some incised letters that could be an 'H' and an 'L', or an 'M', very hard to read. It is in very good condition for its age, structurally sound, with some old chips to one flower that were reseated with glue, some edge nicks and surface chips, all shown in the photos, which is expected and accepted wear for faience objects of this size and significance. Objects like this were used as intended, and obviously well-loved, given its overall condition. This is an extraordinarily large example of French Barbotine Faience, a fabulous Impressionist-painted style by a French master. Shipping fees reflect the cost of safely moving this pot across the country. If it costs less to ship, we will issue a partial shiping refund. Shipping fees will be based upon your zip code because of its size and weight. If questions please ask.