La Japonaise

Deck established his own ceramics business in 1856, making what he called "artistic pottery" inspired by a variety of sources, including Renaissance, Middle Eastern and Japanese ceramics. He became famous for his complexly and richly colored works, and this large figure decorated with several different intricate colored patterns demonstrates his high level of accomplishment. The interest in Japanese art and culture that grew during the 1860s and 1870s made the elegant kimono-clad young woman a popular motif in French art during that period.