Blue and green glazed stoneware ball vase by Gilbert Méténier. Gilbert Méténier, born in Moulins on 30 September 1876, was the son of Louis Méténier (1844–1922), himself a French potter and ceramist who lived in Gannat (Allier). In 1920, Gilbert succeeded his father and upheld the reputation of Méténier earthenware. The business continued until 1940, when Gilbert Méténier is said to have destroyed all the moulds ‘so that they would not fall into the hands of the occupiers’; he then moved to Saint-Raphaël, where all trace of him is lost. Méténier earthenware, sometimes known as ‘Gannat blues’, is all the more sought-after as collectors are assured of finding only authentic pieces; due to the destruction of the moulds and dies, it is technically impossible to produce copies of the pieces created by this workshop between 1920 and 1939. H: 23 cm. – 1.78 kg. In good condition.