Porcelain Figurine
Decorative maharaja figurine
Porcelain with craquelé coating
Signed and numbered (441) at the bottom
DESIGNER Robj (20th)
MANUFACTURER French manufacturer
COUNTRY France
DATE 1920's
DIMENSIONS H. 11,5 /cm.
SPECIAL NOTE
Robj (Co.), founded by Jean Born in 1908, was a French ceramics company making figurines, characterized by stylized, humorous features depicting musicians, sailors, and traditional French costumes. Initially offering electric cigarette lighters and incense burners, Robj shifted to decorative arts under the leadership of Lucien Willemetz after Born's death. The company gained acclaim at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, winning a bronze medal, and thrived through the 1920s and 1930s with cracked ceramic liquor bottles and tobacco jars. Though Robj did not manufacture its pieces, it played a crucial role in promoting Art Deco ceramics by commissioning various suppliers and sponsoring annual design competitions from 1927 to 1931.
