color lithograph (polychrome print), paper 29 x 24 cm;
depicts a reproduction of the ceramic plate ''Oiseau sur un rocher'' (Bird on a Rock) by Pablo Picasso;
The print is from the portfolio ''Ceramics by Picasso'' published by Albert Skira, Geneva, 1950, Geneva-Paris, Transbook Company, Inc., New York; foreword by Suzanne and Georges Ramie.
The 1950 portfolio originally contained 18 color plates showing Picasso's ceramics, although some versions may contain 13 or 15.
The graphics are prized for their faithful rendering of the glaze sheen and colors of the artist's original ceramics. They are cut in the shape of a plate and are often referred to as "tipped-in" "applied" (hand-glued onto a 377mm x 277mm page backing).
Plates are usually published on velin paper and measure approximately 15 x 11 inches.
Picasso's ceramic plates, created mainly between 1947 and 1971 at the Madoura studio in Vallauris, France, make up a significant portion of his 633 designed ceramic works. These works often depict iconic hand-painted and engraved motifs, including bullfighting scenes, faces of men and women, mythological figures and animals such as owls, fish and birds.
