The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern Periods Part 4

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 61.--PILGRIM'S BOTTLE. APOLLO AND DAPHNE; _rev._ A BACCHa.n.a.lIAN SCENE. _In blue and yellow._ Height 12-1/4 in.]

ROUEN. There was a manufactory of pottery at Rouen early in the 16th century, and towards the end of the next century there were many establishments. At the commencement of the 18th century, the Chinese style pervaded all the Rouen fayence, but it was transformed or travestied and possessed a special physiognomy; the subjects were landscapes and buildings with figures, fantastic birds, dragons, &c., in blue, green, yellow, and red, bordered with the square Chinese ornaments. At a later date the decoration consists princ.i.p.ally of flowers issuing from cornucopiae and rococo ornaments; this sort of style is called in France "_a la corne_." The paste of the Rouen fayence is heavier and thicker than that of Delft, but the designs and ornaments are full of taste, decorated in blue _camaeu_ and in polychrome, some in the style of Nevers, with white on _bleu de Perse_, but of paler colour. The pieces were frequently of large size, and included fountains, consoles, vases, &c.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 62.--EWER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 63.--EWER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 64.--PLATE.]

Fig. 62 is painted with polychrome decoration of landscapes, &c.; period of Louis XIV.; height 26-3/8 in.

Fig. 63 is painted in blue with arabesques and flowers; period of Louis XIV.; height 9-3/4 in.

Fig. 64 is painted in the centre with a rose ornament, with medallions and scrolls round the rim, in blue and orange; period of Louis XIV.; diam. 10 in.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 65.--COMPOTIER.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 66.--COMPOTIER.]

Fig. 65 is painted in polychrome; period of Louis XV.; diam. 9-5/8 in.

Fig. 66 is painted with Chinese figures, &c., in polychrome; period of Louis XV.; diam. 10 in.

STRa.s.sBURG[1] and HAGENAU were noted for the manufacture of fayence, established by Charles Francois Hannong about 1709. It was called in France "poterie du Rhin," and is of a peculiar character, and easily known, being generally decorated with flowers and scrolls in red, rose colour, and green. Charles F. Hannong was succeeded by his sons Paul and Balthasar. The former took charge of the Stra.s.sburg works, and the latter the factory which had been started at Hagenau. The Stra.s.sburg fayence works were closed in 1780.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 67.--FOUNTAIN.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 68.--CLOCK AND BRACKET.]

Fig. 67, polychrome decoration, bears the initials of Paul Hannong; about 1750; height 22-1/4 in.

Fig. 68, in three pieces, coloured in maroon, yellow, blue and green, bears the mark of Paul Hannong; about 1750; height 3 ft. 9 in.

MOUSTIERS. The products of the Moustiers _fabriques_ may be divided into three periods:--

1st Epoch. Towards the end of the 17th century. The subjects are hunting scenes, &c., painted in blue; champetre scenes and figures in costumes of the period of Louis XIV.; and mythological and biblical subjects with arabesque borders. The outlines are sometimes lightly indicated in violet of manganese.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 69.--PLATEAU.]

2nd Epoch. From the commencement of the 18th century to about 1745. The specimens of this period are in blue _camaeu_ with highly finished and graceful interlaced patterns, among which are cupids, satyrs, nymphs, terminal figures, flowers, masks, &c.; canopies with draperies resting upon consoles, vases, fountains, &c.

3rd Epoch. From 1745 to 1789. The fayence is mostly painted in polychrome; the colours are blue, brown, yellow, green, and violet. The decorations are flowers, fruit, and foliage, and sometimes mythological subjects. Other patterns of this period consist of grotesque figures, and caricatures. The outlines of the designs were transferred to the surface of the ware by means of paper patterns, p.r.i.c.ked with a fine needle and powdered over with charcoal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 70.--COMPOTIER.]

Fig. 69, painted in green _camaeu_ with a rustic subject in the style of Boucher, with polychrome floral border; 1720 to 1760; diam. 11-1/8 in.

Fig. 70. Compotier, painted with a central hunting subject, after Tempesta, surrounded by a floral border, and outer border of garlands, in polychrome; 1680 to 1720; diam. 10-3/8 in.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 71.--PLATE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 72.--BARBER'S BASIN.]

Fig. 71. Plate, octagonal, with curved outline, painted with central medallion of Juno standing in a landscape, surrounded by a garland, and round the border the busts of divinities within medallions, and garlands, in polychrome; 1680 to 1720; diam. 10 in.

Fig. 72. Barber's basin, painted in polychrome with the subject of Diana and Actaeon; 1680 to 1720; length 15 in.

VARAGES also possessed manufactories in the 18th century for fayence in the style of Moustiers, from which it is only a few miles in distance.

Some of this ware bears the mark of a cross, and was called "Faence a la Croix." Fig. 73 is painted with rustic figures in landscape, after Wouverman; crimson and green flower border, and marked with a cross.

18th century. Diam. 11-1/2 in.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 73.--PLATE.]

Ma.r.s.eILLES. The manufacture of fayence at Ma.r.s.eilles, and elsewhere in the South of France, was in activity early in the 17th century. A little after 1750, twelve _fabriques_ of pottery were in existence. In 1790 there were eleven manufactories existing, but most of them ceased about 1793, on account of the Treaty of Commerce with England. The Revolution of 1793 gave an additional blow to the keramic industry of Ma.r.s.eilles.

In 1805 there were only three factories at work, employing twenty hands.

In 1809 only one remained.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 74.--TUREEN.]

The fayence is much the same in character as that of Moustiers, and sometimes resembles that of Stra.s.sburg. The decorations are frequently in red or green, sometimes with Chinese designs. There is one peculiarity about the Ma.r.s.eillaise fayence which at once fixes its ident.i.ty, and this is, three green leaves or marks painted on the backs of plates and dishes to hide the imperfections in the enamel caused by the _pernettes_ or points of support on which they rested in the kiln.

There is also a great resemblance between the early ware made here and at Genoa, in consequence of the emigration of many workmen. We learn from a complaint made on the subject by the potters of Ma.r.s.eilles to the Intendant of Provence in 1762, from which it seems they took a great number of apprentices at very low wages, and the wages were paid in fayence, which mode of payment they said deteriorated the quality, and caused the workmen to emigrate to Genoa. Also they complained that great quant.i.ties of Genoese fayence were imported into Languedoc and Provence, and spread over France, which was absolutely ruinous to the trade of the two provinces, and especially to Ma.r.s.eilles.

Fig. 74. Soup tureen, cover, and stand, with polychrome flower decoration and gilding, was made by Savy, about 1750; length of tureen, 15-1/2 in.

SINCENY in Picardy. A manufactory was established here in 1733, by Jean Baptiste de Fayard, Gouverneur de Chaunay et Seigneur de Sinceny. Dr.

Warmont (_Recherches Historiques sur les faences de Sinceny, &c._, Paris, 1864) divides the products of this manufactory into three periods:--

1. Rouennaise, 1734 to 1775.

2. Faence au feu de reverbere, 1775 to 1789.

3. Decadence de l'Art, 1789 to 1864.

The earliest pieces were painted in blue; the next in blue touched with red or green and yellow, decorated with _lambrequins_ (mantlings), _a la corne_ (cornucopiae), birds, and b.u.t.terflies. Chinese figures were doubtless stencilled by p.r.i.c.ked papers and charcoal powder.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 75.--BOWL AND COVER.]

About 1775 a great improvement was perceptible in the fayence of Sinceny; the paste became finer in quality, the colours brighter and more varied, in more exact imitation of the porcelain of j.a.pan. This was accomplished by what is called _le feu de reverbere_, in contradistinction to the old process _au grand feu_; the latter included only one baking, while in the other the ware was placed a second time in the kiln, and the pigments were not exposed to so great a heat, which allowed the employment of brighter colours. Table services decorated in polychrome, with branches of roses, sometimes in green _camaeu_; delicate wicker baskets, watch stands, &c., were produced; they were painted with Chinese figures, rococo scrolls, and other ornaments. From 1790 the fayence _au feu de reverbere_ was largely discontinued on account of its expensive character and the introduction of English ware at a lower price; but still, both descriptions were occasionally made.

Fig. 75 is a bowl and cover, painted in colours inside with a coronet, supported by two cupids on clouds with a flaming heart beneath, 18th century.

LUNeVILLE. Founded in 1731 by Jacques Chambrette, it was called _La Manufacture Stanislas_; Jacques was succeeded by his son Gabriel and his son-in-law Charles Loyal. They made fayence of blue decoration like Nevers, and sometimes with rose and green colours like the old Stra.s.sburg ware. Large figures of lions, dogs, and other animals, of natural size, are sometimes met with.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 76.--A PAIR OF RUSTIC FIGURES. _With polychrome decoration. About 1775._ Height 8-3/4 in.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 77.--DISH. _In polychrome. About 1760._ Length 13-1/4 in.]

APREY, near Langres. Established, about 1750, by Lallemand, Baron d'Aprey. About 1780 it was conducted by M. Vilhault, who made a superior kind of fayence. The early style is that of Stra.s.sburg with rose colour, green and yellow predominating.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 78.--PLATE. _In polychrome._ Diam. 9-3/8 in.]