Lizard

myminifactory

This ceramic sculpture of a mythical creature is the result of two groundbreaking collaborations: that between sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet and architect Viollet le-Duc, and another between Frémiet and ceramist Emile Muller. In the early 1870s, Frémiet created plaster models of four fantastical beasts for Napoleon III's restoration of the medieval château at Pierrefonds, a project led by Viollet-le-Duc. The architect aimed to breathe life into the abandoned feudal castle, and Frémiet's sculptures for Pierrefonds were intentionally designed to evoke a romanticized vision of the medieval era. Several years later, four plaster animals were carved in stone; then, Frémiet arranged with Muller's ceramic factory, La Grande Tuilerie, to cast the creatures in stoneware. In the resulting ceramic versions, Frémiet and Muller successfully introduced color through copper-based glazes. The distinctive, mottled rich red and turquoise glaze resulted from oxidation during the firing process, and the variations in color were deliberately sought after and prized. Only a handful of these stoneware animals were produced, making this creature one of only two examples known to exist, numbered as I.