Vase deux anses hautes is an example of Picasso taking the relatively standard shapes of the ceramics produced in Vallauris and using them to great effect. In this work, Picasso has used a traditional vase shape, dating back to Classical times. The handles extend out from the body of the vase to create the arms of a figure. The curvature of the top of the vase is painted with a figure's face. Simple feet have been painted on the base. In between, the curvature of the central body of the vase has been decorated playfully to suggest hands, legs and clothing. Like many of Picasso's ceramic works, the artist's approach is simple and yet highly effective.

A visit to the New York apartment of Dr. Arthur and Mrs. Anita Kahn provided any visitor with a true celebration for the senses. During a lifetime of collecting, these dedicated connoisseurs assembled one of the most remarkable collections of Pablo Picasso ceramics and works on paper, and postwar American art. From their significant holdings of the work of Alexander Calder to Richard Pousette-Dart’s crowning glory, his 1958 painting Blood Wedding—the collection captures the energy and excitement of this important period. Though the couple came from humble beginnings—he, the son of an immigrant candy store owner, and she, the daughter of a seamstress—their interest in, and admiration for, the creative process led them to be rewarded with a collection that encompassed some of the most important artists of the postwar period. From Alexander Calder to Pablo Picasso, and David Smith to Stuart Davis, their holdings of art demonstrated an astute understanding of the creative process and their sheer joy at the works in their collection.