Adorable French Barbotine Snail From The Early to Mid 20th-Century - 7½"

This delightful barbotine sculpture of a "gris de Bourgogne" snail captures a moment of quiet animation, as the snail emerges with gentle determination. Its posture is slightly lifted, with the head raised and antennae extended inquisitively forward, giving the piece a lifelike attitude of calm exploration. The overall stance conveys a natural sense of movement, as if the snail were slowly making its way across a mossy path. Rendered in richly glazed faïence, the sculpture showcases fine attention to surface detail. The artist has incised a delicate pattern of rhythmic dots and striations into the body, mimicking the softly ridged texture of a real snail’s skin. The shell, glazed in chestnut and ivory with softly brushed radial strokes, is painted with quiet realism, closely echoing the natural coloring and markings of a Burgundy snail.

Though unsigned and difficult to date precisely, this piece remains an endearing collectible of French faience, both expressive and skillfully crafted.

Ideal for display on a shelf, console, or nestled in a leafy corner of a terrace, it offers a gentle and whimsical nod to the natural world, rendered with the warmth and charm of traditional ceramic artistry.