I have been on the lookout for pottery by master ceramist Jean Gerbino since I first came across one of his small mosaic vases in an antique shop in Paris many years ago. Gerbino lived and worked in the small French commune of Vallauris just north of Antibes and Cannes, a town known since Roman times as a center of pottery. By the mid 20th century, Vallauris came to be called “the city of 100 potters,” and boasted residents such as Picasso, who came there to create his own sculptural and ceramic works. Gerbino moved to Vallauris in 1902 to work for other master potters while honing his own “Gerbino” method. By 1930 until his death in 1966, he had his own studio there, in which he produced his signature mosaic pieces, made from stacking slabs of colored clay, rather than relying on surface glazes. His technique is similar to more traditional terre mêlée practices and also takes a cue from Japanese neriage, a form of pottery that also relies on colored clay slabs to achieve intricate designs. I am so happy to share our collection her at Reed Smythe.