Jean and Robert CLOUTIER Anthropomorphic Pansu jug depicting a woman, with a face and nose on the neck Ceramic Marked ‘Cloutier’ beneath the base Height: 20 cm Ceramic; inscribed “Cloutier” underneath the base Height: 7.87 in. Robert and Jean Cloutier, twin brothers born on 7 August 1930 in Paris, are French ceramicists and sculptors renowned for their inseparable artistic collaboration. After training at the Meaux School of Ceramics, they honed their craft under Parisian masters such as Georges Jouve, Michel Rivière and Pol Chambost. In 1955, they opened their own studio on Rue de Reuilly in Paris, marking the start of a prolific career. Their work is characterised by the use of a wide variety of materials, including ceramics, glazed earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. In 1956, they created ‘Rouge Cloutier’, an internationally acclaimed red glaze that became one of their signature features. Their style is described as poetic, dreamlike and humorous, blending biomorphic forms with hybrid figures drawn from mythology (mermaids, bird-men). Although their work is often functional (vases, lamps, tableware), they also undertook interior design projects for prestigious institutions such as Air France, Galeries Lafayette and the Maison de l’Iran. Their creations have been showcased in prestigious venues such as the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, the La Demeure gallery in Paris and Mitsukoshi in Tokyo, as well as in recent retrospectives at Sotheby’s, in Aigues-Mortes and in Nîmes. Jean and Robert CLOUTIER