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2008 Brittany Shop 'n' Tour
Ready for a vacation? Come join us on a
Brittany Shop 'n'
Tour! We have one tour based in Quimper that will be from
July 22nd through July 29th and another tour based in Dinan...the dates
for that are
September 10th through September 16th.
We'll take you down age-old paths...
...that lead to culinary delights...
...and awesome sights.
For further details, see the Brittany Shop 'n'
Tour link on this site or contact us at
meadows@oldquimper.com
Henriot Quimper Pichet Plougastel sur l'Anse--André
Galland
How cute is he? George Clooney and Matt Damon may have some competition
here. As pictured on page 300 of Tome IV of L'Encyclopédie des
Céramiques de Quimper, this adorable pitcher features a petit breton
dressed in the traditional costume of Plougastel jauntily perched on the
rim.
I haven't been able to pin down exactly when M. Galland
collaborated with the pottery, but in L'Encyclopédia des Céramiques de
Quimper, Tome IV, page 297, Messieurs Philippe Théallet and Bernard
Jules Verlingue estimate that Galland first began sending designs to the
Henriot factory at the end of the 1920s-beginning of the 1930s. His
work is generally thought to be part of the Modern Movement 1930-1950 and
includes designs for a series of items intended for the regional markets.
Galland was born in 1886 and died in
1965. At the age of eighteen, he began his career by illustrating
mainstream French magazines and newspapers such as L'Illustration, Le
Matin, and Le Petit Journal, but he also did drawings for children's
publications. He worked
for the French government during and after World War II and was the
illustrator for the proceedings of the Nurembourg Trials. He also
illustrated comics...bandes dessinées in French, most notably a
1950s series involving the exploits of Rocambole, who is best described as
one of the first super heros. His travel posters and his humorous pottery
are highly-collectible.
The pitcher measures 5.875 inches
high and is 4.5 inches across measuring from spout to handle. Condition:
the colors are terrific...his costume is that of the area of Plougastel
where they grow those devine Breton strawberries. There are two small
chips to the spout, a small chip on the middle ring of the "barrel", a
small chip on his right trouser leg, and a small chip to his left sabot.
I point them out, but it really sounds a lot worse than it looks...he's
pretty adorable!
 This
is the factory mark on the bottom of the pitcher.
Henriot Quimper Petit Breton Bell--André
Galland
Another great piece designed by André Galland for the Henriot
factory. As mentioned previously, I haven't been able to pin down exactly when M. Galland
collaborated with the pottery, but in L'Encyclopédia des Céramiques de
Quimper, Tome IV, page 297, Messieurs Philippe Théallet and Bernard
Jules Verlingue estimate that Galland first began sending designs to the
Henriot factory at the end of the 1920s-beginning of the 1930s. His work is generally thought to be
part of the Modern Movement 1930-1950.
To repeat what we do know,
Gallandwas born in 1886 and died in
1965. At the age of eighteen, he began his career by illustrating
mainstream French magazines and newspapers such as L'Illustration, Le
Matin, and Le Petit Journal, but he also did drawings for children's
publications. He worked
for the French government during and after World War II and was the
illustrator for the proceedings of the Nurembourg Trials. He also
illustrated comics...bandes dessinées in French, most notably a
1950s series involving the exploits of Rocambole, who is best described as
one of the first super heros. His travel posters and his humorous pottery
are highly-collectible.
The petit breton on the bell has sort
of a super hero-ish pose standing in his sabots and holding a walking
stick in each hand...Mark thinks he's skiing!
He is in great condition and
has his original clay clapper...the lighter areas on the very edge of his
chapeau ronde are where the glaze was thinly applied and are original to when he was made...there
are a couple of teeny
areas on the hat rim that look as if they were "blued-in". He measures 3.75
inches high, a jolly 3 inches wide, 3.125 inches deep and is simply
wonderful!
The mark on the inside is
Henriot Quimper France ag 159
HB Quimper Covered Box
This Quimper faïence covered
box is from the HB pottery and dates from
around 1925. The base has ten distinct panels and the lid has ten points
so I suppose that the official description of the form would be a decagon.
The rim of the lid has yellow banding accented with green dots and a deep
blue border with an intricate arabesque design on the top. That, in turn,
forms a reserve in which is painted a petit breton sitting down as he
plays the biniou. The lid is signed within the design HB Quimper.
The base
is decorated all around with the matching border design; in this case, the
arabesques form reserves that are filled with delicate paintings of
bruyère...the breton term for heather.
The base is signed HB Quimper 501bis (indicating the form), with +.+
 for the
artist's "signature".
It measures 5.125 inches across and is 2.75 inches high. Boxes get opened
and closed all the time and luckily, this one is in good condition. Six of
the points of the lid have small bits of missing glaze...some are skips,
original to when it was first made, and others are chips...all are
inconsequential to the over all piece. The rim of the base has one spot of
white glaze over bare clay...it could be an old repair or something
original to when it was made. This is when you wish these things could
talk...but at any rate, the spot does not show when the lid is in place
and as you can see from the photographs, it's a great piece!
Henriot Râtelier à Pipes Biniou...Bagpipe-form
Pipe Rack
Fitting in well with our logo...Just
as unique as you are...here's an unusual piece. The form is called a
râtelier à pipes biniou...it was originally intended as a pipe
rack...but as you can see, it certainly looks great on its own. We show it
here on a plate rack, but it would be equally fabulous displayed hanging
on the wall.
Should you not have any pipes that
need to be racked, it would also be marvelous for displaying dried flowers
or, better yet, for those who are culinary-minded, it's absolutely perfect
for holding dried herbs at the ready.
The form is particularly interesting with the ducal crown of Brittany
enhanced with the ermine tail motif of Anne de Bretagne...
...and the Breton couple in the traditional costumes of Quimper...she with
her basket and he, naturally, with his pipe!
It measures an impressive 10
inches wide, 7.675 inches high, and 2.25 inches deep. It dates from circa
1925 and is in mint condition.
Beginning in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, faced with stern
regulations from the French government that were designed to dilute
regional pride and result in a more centralized environment, the Bretons
did everything they could to protect and promote their individuality. Many
of the motifs and forms used by the potteries in Quimper were designed to
preserve Brittany's unique heritage.
 
This bagipe-form pipe rack is a perfect example. It is marked on the back
in dark blue.
Porquier-Beau Coupe à Bordes Retourné
...a
stunning example of the artistry of Alfred Beau. The form is called a
coupe à bordes retourné...essentially a decorative plate with a
hand-curled rim...a great way to add a bit of drama to a grouping of
traditional plate forms. We show it here on a plate rack, but it can also
be displayed on a wall using a traditional plate hanger.
The original scene painted by
Alfred Beau circa 1875 is
entitled Pleyben.
(Pleyben is a town we have "visited" before here at
www.oldquimper.com ...less than 20 miles northeast of
Quimper, Pleyben is the site of both a beautiful parish clos and one of
our favorite Breton restaurants...Le Blanche Hermine). The charming scene
shows a petit breton being served a drink...note that the barrel in the
background has the initials of Alfred Beau!
 The
green arabesque border is cleverly accented by the blue sponging on the
reverse that is revealed by the turned edges.
The mark on the back is the
entwined P and B sans serif...signifying an Alfred Beau design produced
while he was actively engaged by the Porquier pottery factory...that is to
say, circa 1875 to 1893.
A powerful piece for its size, it measures 6 inches by 6 inches and stands
1.5 inches high.
It is in mint condition!
Also on the reverse, the label
from the store in the town of St. Malo where it was originally sold.
A superb example of Quimper art
pottery!
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