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.
Mid-Century French Ceramic Mirror with Bird and Foliage by Mithé Espelt, c. 1970
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Mid-century ceramic mirror by the French artist Mithé Espelt (1923–2020), handcrafted in Lunel, France, circa 1970. This collectible piece features a deeply embossed border depicting...
Ceramic, Mirror
Mithé Espelt Quadrille Wall Mirror, Kiln-Fired Gold Rare Early Mirror
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Paris, FR
A rare and highly refined mirror by Mithé Espelt, this exceptional “Quadrille” model embodies the discreet luxury and poetic modernism that define her work. Created in the early 1950...
Gold
Mithé Espelt - "Orchidées" mirror, ceramic, gold and crystallized glass
By Mithé Espelt
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
ORCHIDÉES Embossed and glazed earthenware,crackled gold and crystallized glass. France, circa 1960. Diameter : 26 cm.
Gold
Mithé Espelt - "Fleurs" mirror, ceramic and gold, france, 1967
By Mithé Espelt
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Mithé Espelt (1923-2020) "Fleurs" mirror. France, c. 1967 Enameled and glazed ceramic and gold. Diameter : 30 cm. Bibliography : Antoine Candau, Mithé Espelt, the discreet luxury of ...
Gold
Mithé Espelt - "Fleurs" mirror, enameled ceramic, gold, circa 1967
By Mithé Espelt
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Mithé Espelt (1923-2020) "Fleurs" mirror. France, c. 1967 Enameled and glazed ceramic and gold. Diameter : 30 cm. Bibliography : Antoine Candau, Mithé Espelt, the discreet luxury of ...
Gold
Mithé Espelt - "Fleurs" mirror, ceramic and gold, france, c.1967
By Mithé Espelt
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Mithé Espelt (1923-2020) "Fleurs" mirror. France, c. 1967 Enameled and glazed ceramic and gold. Diameter : 3à cm. Bibliography : Antoine Candau, Mithé Espelt, the discreet luxury of ...
Gold
Mithé Espelt - "Millefleurs" mirror, glazed ceramic, gold
By Mithé Espelt
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Mithé Espelt (1923-2020) "Millefleurs" mirror. France, c. 1965 Enameled and glazed ceramic and gold. Diameter : 26,5 cm. Bibliography : Antoine Candau, Mithé Espelt, the discreet lux...
Gold
Mithé Espelt Santa Fé #1 Wall Mirror, Crackled Gold, France, circa 1977
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Paris, FR
A rare and highly refined ceramic mirror by Mithé Espelt, titled Santa Fé #1, created in 1977 under the direct supervision of the artist. This piece exemplifies Espelt’s distinctive ...
Gold
Mithé Espelt Ceramic Mirror with Birds and Flowers, France c. 1970
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
A rectangular ceramic wall mirror by Mithé Espelt (1923-2020), handcrafted in her studio in Lunel, France, circa 1970. Espelt, a celebrated French ceramicist, was revered for her ref...
Ceramic, Mirror
$3,158
Mirror Polynesia
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Paris, FR
Mirror Polynesia Ceramic, 1998 Catalog : Antoine Candau, p. 190 H x W x D : 29.50 cm. x 26.00 cm. x 2.00 cm. 11.61 in. x 10.24 in. x 0.79 in. Very good condition A mirror made of...
Ceramic, Mirror
$1,052
Mirror
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Paris, FR
To embellish women's everyday lives, the French ceramist imagines rare objects such as this small-format mirror, ideal for carrying in your handbag. A red ceramic pearl hangs from th...
Ceramic, Mirror