Mithe Espelt Jewelry

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the piece of mithe espelt jewelry you’re looking for. Was constructed with extraordinary care, often using ceramic, enamel and metal. There are many kinds of the item from our selection of mithe espelt jewelry you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. A choice in our collection of mithe espelt jewelry is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern styles are sought with frequency. François Lembo each produced at least one beautiful object in our assortment of mithe espelt jewelry that is worth considering.

The average selling price for a piece of mithe espelt jewelry at 1stDibs is $1,859, while they’re typically $694 on the low end and $3,250 for the highest priced.

Marie-Thérèse Espelt, known better as Mithé Espelt, was a dominant force in mid-20th-century ceramics in France. Mithé is remembered for her modern ceramic wall mirrors, gilded and enameled ashtrays and other ornate objects and boxes, often featuring birds and lively colors. She preferred not to sign her pieces and, as a consequence, much of her work has been misattributed, including to French ceramist François Lembo.

Mithé grew up in the Camargue region of France. Her father’s extensive network included 1904 Nobel Prize winner Frédéric Mistral and Parisian painter and decorator Jean Hugo. Mithé’s early introduction to a community of artists inspired her to study sculpture and drawing at the Beaux-Arts School in Montpellier in 1939. 

Mithé’s early work caught the attention of French ceramist Emilie Decanis and jewelry distributor Charles Démery. Mithé set up a ceramics workshop in the Hôtel de Bernis in Lunel, where she quickly garnered a reputation for her ceramic work and accessories, including mirrors, jewelry boxes and buttons. Démery founded the Souleiado boutique, which began distributing Mithé’s work, thus attracting a worldwide audience.

French author Antoine Candau wrote a retrospective book on Mithé’s career titled Mithé Espelt, the Discreet Luxury of the Every Day, which contributed to bringing her legacy to the forefront while shedding light on her anonymity. While Mithé was respected within her inner circle, the general public is only now beginning to understand the immense talent behind her over five-decade-long career.

Find Mithé Espelt mirrors, decorative objects, wall decorations and more for sale on 1stDibs.