PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973)
Oiseau au ver (A.R. 172)
inscribed and stamped 'EDITION PICASSO / MADOURA' (underneath)
white earthenware clay, oxidized paraffin decoration, white enamel
6 inches (15.2 cm)
Executed in 1952. From an edition of 500.

NOTES:

This ceramic ashtray captures Picasso’s long-standing fascination with animal imagery and transformation, transforming an everyday object into an abstract ceramic artwork. Featured in Oiseau au ver (A.R. 172) is a bird eating a worm, evoking the circle of life and the uneasy beauty inherent in nature — both themes Picasso returned to throughout his career. Rendered with the confident spontaneity typical of his ceramic period, the work turns the ashtray form into a symbolic tableau of nature's transient cycles.