Picasso's interest in working with ceramics began in the summer of 1946. On July 28, 1946, he actually only wanted to see an exhibition at the "Kooperative Agricola Nérolium" in Vallauris - the result of this visit was an intense artistic activity in the field of ceramics, which lasted until his death in 1973.
The day after Pablo Picasso had seen the exhibition, he visited the ceramic workshop of Suzanne and Georges Ramié again and immediately designed three clay sculptures.

Picasso's ceramics are just as unmistakable as his paintings, sculptures or graphic works. With regard to his ceramic works, it can even be said that the special characteristics of his sculptures, paintings and graphic works flow together in this medium.

Up to Picasso's death, he produced around 4000 ceramics, and in addition published 600 vases, plates and bowls as display works in association with the Madoura workshop. Picasso supplied the original model for these objects, which the employees of the pottery workshop reproduced, burned and painted. The number of copies varied between 25 and 500.

In this product area, Picasso strictly controlled the marketing and sale of the displays. In addition, Picasso's ceramics are just as well and conscientiously documented as his painterly, sculptural or graphic works, because his ceramic objects are also listed in their own catalogue raissonné. Alain Ramié, the son of Suzanne and Georges Ramié, catalogued and published it in 1988.

Picasso's wall plate Head with Mask from 1956 shows a narrowly stylized face, which many of Picasso plates are showing.

The front of the decorative plate is made of unglazed ceramic.
The back shows a partly glazed slip decoration, it is a black Faun’s head in the middle, which is titled in the catalog raisonné as "Faun's little head“, the rim of the plate is decorated with large green and black spots.

The back of this plate bears the important embossed stamp of the southern French ceramic manufacturer Madoura, which was applied before the fire as a sign of authenticity and official authorisation.
In addition, the serial number 68/100 was engraved, so that the original model was clearly designed by Picasso and released for serial production in a print run of 100 copies.

Picasso himself is said to have said about his ceramic work: "I am pleased that I have turned to this genre, because now every Picasso lover can buy a significant art work from Picasso at affordable prices to enjoy my art at home".

In auctions, Picasso's ceramic works enjoy a great and unbroken popularity, which can certainly be explained by the fact that these objects belong to those works of art that - like his graphics - which are in the lower price segment of the Picasso market. This field profits considerably from the exorbitantly high prices that Picasso's paintings achieve on the art market.
For decades, Picasso has been the artist who, year after year, achieves the highest auction turn-over in the international auction business.