Picasso was an animal lover: over the course of his life he kept birds, dogs, cats and even a goat. The creatures were more than simply domestic pets: they became a common source of inspiration in his artistic career.

The owl, symbol of wisdom and prosperity, was an important recurring theme in Picasso's oeuvre, and he began to incorporate images of owls in his ceramic work. His complex, painted, three dimensional vessels, not only embody the shape of a bird, but the textural complexity of the different glazes used create the impression of ruffling feathers. Clever and humorous, the surfaces of these owl vases and plates allowed him to explore the ceramic medium in a painterly manner.

‘[Françoise] Gilot has recounted that while Picasso was working at the Musée d'Antibes, a little owl with an injured claw was found in a corner of the museum. Picasso soon tamed the obstinate creature and they took it with them when they later left for Paris, where the bird assumed its role in the life of the artist's studio - and, of course, in his work.’
(M. McCully, Ceramics by Picasso, Paris, 1999, vol. I, p. 464).



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