This beautiful Hen Subject is finished with a glossy sheen, allowing the light to reflect the highlights and textures unique to the piece. The white dove is accented by decorative blue engobe detail, hand-painted throughout, giving this work a whimsical yet elegant touch characteristic of Picasso's talent and artistry. Its fluted spout forms the long, graceful neck of the dove while the delicately curved handle imitates its tufted tail feathers. Great care and detail has been paid to the decorative surface pattern, evoking a southern French flair with some Spanish influences.

Created in 1954, this original turned shape ceramic is hand crafted of white, earthenware clay with oxide decoration in blue on white enamel. Inscribed stamps on the underside of the ceramic, 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU' and 'EDITION PICASSO' with handwritten inscription in black on the underside of the ceramic, 'EDITION | PICASSO | MADOURA'; out of the total edition of 500 works produced.

Illustrated in:
1) Ramié, A. (1988) Picasso Catalogue of the edited ceramic works 1947-1971. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 250 on pg. 133 (another variant illustrated).
2) Texas A&M University. The Online Picasso Project. www.picasso.tamu.edu. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. OPP.54:142.

Provenance:
~ From the Collection of Caral Gimbel Lebworth (New York, NY, USA)