Mithé Espelt

MITHÉ ESPELT (France, 1923–2020).
Small handheld mirror for hanging. France, ca. 1960.
Glazed and gilded ceramic.
In very good overall condition, with slight signs of use and patina consistent with its age.
Measurements: 22 cm total height × 15 cm diameter.

Circular mirror with a short handle and hanging loop, designed as a dressing table accessory and a small decorative wall piece. The frame features a series of geometric appliqués glazed in pale green, set against a dark background and combined with gilded details and crackled, crystal-like elements. The hallmarks of the contrast of textures and the surface treatment reflect Mithé Espelt’s ornamental style, in which an everyday object takes on value as a ceramic creation.

Mithé Espelt, whose real name was Marie-Thérèse Espelt, was a French ceramicist known for her mirrors, boxes, and small decorative objects made of glazed and gilded ceramic. She trained in Montpellier and, after working in Paris, established her studio in Lunel in 1946. Her work is characterized by brightly colored glazes, crackled gilding, and a repertoire of birds, flowers, and nature-inspired forms, through which she brought a personal vision to postwar French decorative arts. She rarely signed her pieces and led a low-key career, which has since been rediscovered thanks to subsequent research and publications.