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HR Quimper Rafraîchir
This HR Quimper piece would certainly serve as a wonderful
centerpiece, jardinière,or fruit bowl. Its deeply-scalloped rim,
however, is indicative of another use...that of a rafraîchir or
bowl used to cool wine glasses. Appearing on the scene in the seventeenth
century, the form was early on more likely to be made of silver or, in
some cases, pewter. Faïence versions first appeared in the eighteenth century.
The original idea allowed for the stem of a goblet to be supported within
the scalloped area so that the receptacle portion could rest on ice that
had been piled into the oval bowl of the rafraîchir. The form was
initially known as a monteith, a name inspired by a rather dandy Scottish
eccentric named Monteith who had taken to sporting an unusual,
scalloped-hemmed cloak.
A showy, presentation piece, it was the norm for a rafraîchir to be
decorated with a heraldic crest...
...and this one is no exception, having on one side the crest of Brittany...
...flanked by lions and further decorated with sprays of heather and
broom...below, a close-up view of the heather or bruyère...
...and a detail view of the ajonc...
Of oval form and measuring 12.675 inches wide, 5.5 inches high, and 7.675
inches deep, there are three minute chips to the top rim and my sixth-sense sensibilities tell me that one of the handles has had a repair...an
excellent job however...invisible to anyone except a nut-case like me!
The motif on the other side is a joy to a Quimper pottery collector...
...a petit breton playing the bombarde for a lovely petite bretonne and,
in the background, the town of Quimper distinguished by the unmistakable
twin spires of the Cathedrale Saint-Corentin.
The base features a series of colorful rococo-inspired "feet"...
...and it is signed HR Quimper, both to the left of the petite bretonne
and on the bottom...
Saint-Clément Donkey-form Double Salt
This donkey-form salière double
or double salt is from the town of Saint-Clément in eastern France. The pottery
there began operations in the mid-eighteenth
century...originally as part of a tax dodge for another pottery
located in the town of Lunéville...the taxes in Lunéville being much higher even though it was
less than ten miles from Saint-Clément.
At the time this piece was
made...last quarter of the nineteenth century...the pottery was run by
descendents of Germain Thomas who had become the director of the firm in
1824. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the factory became part
of the Keller and Guerin pottery factory of Lunéville.
The mold is wonderful and the
artistry of the decoration is readily apparent. It measures 3.9375 inches
high, 4.25 inches wide, and 4 inches deep and is in
great condition...there is a minute chip to the edge of one of the salt
baskets and some roughness to one of his ears. We're debating whether
that's original to when it was made or if it was previously
repaired...maybe, maybe not...too hard to tell. If it was repaired, then
the restoration is truly top notch!
As with each French faïencerie, the style of floral decoration used at
Saint-Clément is very distinctive...
...it was used with great success on the baskets for salt that are to each
side...
...
...and we're thinking that perhaps donkeys get a "bad rap" for
being uncooperative because this one certainly has a
very sweet expression...
The piece is marked on the bottom with the mark of the Saint-Clément
pottery that was used prior to its purchase by Keller and Guerin...
HR Fleur-de-lis form Bénitier
A bénitier or holy water font,
this charming receptacle was originally intended to be hung either by the entrance door or upon the
lit clos...the name for the enclosed bed used throughout Brittany.
This particular bénitier is a very early piece of faïence from what would
years later come to be known as the Henriot factory. In the form of a
fleur-de-lis, it
features a young breton paying his respects as he stands before a wayside
cross. Colorful à la touche flowers and a blue chain motif provide
a wonderful accent. Adding a touch of regional pride, the artist
decorated the receptacle for the holy water with the crest of Brittany.
It's a shaped piece and was impossible to photograph without those nasty
reflections; the colors are spectacular with the orange-y reds and
brownish-manganese that denotes Quimper pottery from the last quarter of
the nineteenth century.
It is 8 inches high, 4.875
inches wide, and 1.75 inches deep. Bénitiers were understandably
highly-revered pieces within a Breton household, and this example is in
mint condition.
It is signed on the back" HR" only which allows us to date it as being
made soon after the factory began making faïence in 1891.
Authentic Vintage
Chemin de Fer d'Orléans "Bretagne" Poster by Charles Hallo
The emblematic view of Quimper's rue Kéréon is the theme
of this fabulous original poster designed by Charles Hallo in 1919.
In the late nineteenth-early twentieth century,
if you lived in the area of Brittany known as Finistère,
the town of Quimper
was where you had to go for any important
administrative transaction.
The family
in the foreground is dressed in the traditional "important
occasion/administrative transaction" costume of the
commune of Pont-l'Abbé...less than fifteen miles southwest of Quimper.
The train
service connecting Paris with the hinterlands of Brittany prompted the
creation of several wonderful posters promoting railway
travel to the region, but this is the
only one to single out the famous pottery town of Quimper!
Whether you're a railway buff, a Francophile, or someone who knows and
appreciates good graphics...this is a fantastic poster!
Quimper's rue Kéréon is gloriously drawn by the
noted poster artist Charles Hallo...who created his works using the name "Alo".
Here's a recent photograph taken
from a similar vantage point...
...not much has changed...rue
Kéréon remains one of the principal shopping streets of Old Town Quimper.
In an interesting play of light, the
poster shows Cathédrale St. Corentin highlighted in the background while the colorfully-dressed family strolls in
the foreground. The statue of King Gradlon overlooks the
comings and goings...just as it does today...
The medieval buildings, the bretons and bretonnes going
about their business...it's just fantastic! It was printed in 1919 and
features the early crest of the town of Quimper...
The cerf or stag
shown on the crest, called a karv in the Breton language, is a
Celtic symbol for the beginning of life, specifically the renewal of life
in the Otherworld.
 The
colors and attention to detail are great...to the left is a closer view of
the family going about their business...the petit breton taking charge of
the umbrella!
The poster has been professional lined and measures 32" by 44" The image size is 29" by 41". The image and colors
are absolutely spectacular! It is in amazing condition...if you're
familiar with poster grading ...this is in A- condition. (If you're not
familiar with the grading system for posters...that's basically as good as
you'll ever find).
You know we don't use the term "rare" very often...but this Brittany
travel poster is incredibly rare. Back then, posters were
disposable...simply adhered to walls or bulletin
boards and certainly never intended to be saved.
Hallo's distinctive signature is
to the lower left...
...and the printer's markings
are along the bottom...
This is an extremely rare
opportunity to own an authentic vintage Chemin de Fer poster featuring the
town of Quimper!
Vintage Brittany Travel Poster
This vintage travel poster was intended
to entice travelers to
take the train and explore the wonders of Brittany.
The artist, J. Jacquelin,
combined several typical Breton scenes...the ocean, of course, along with
a seaside village with gatherings of seamen, and one of the many
historical lighthouses...
Illustrating the region's interesting blend of modern and traditional
customs and costumes...
...a couple of petite bretonnes soak up the sun in close proximity
to beach combers in more modern attire.
And one of the regions famous calvaires...centuries-old carved
granite sculptures is featured as well...
Published in 1965, its condition
is A-...the colors are vibrant, the upper left corner has a soft
fold and there are some very small bits of usure on the sides...in vintage
poster circles, that's just about mint condition!
It measures 39.675 inches by
24.675 inches and is unmounted.
The artist's signature is on the
lower left...
...and the railway included the following notations along the very bottom...
Malicorne
Nineteenth Century figure of Sainte Marie,
Vierge d'Accouchée
This is a vierge d'accouchée...a
specific form of figure of the Virgin
Mary holding the infant Jesus that is intended to serve as a candle holder.
It being a true vierge d'accouchée is verified
by the small hole in the crown...the hole signifies that it was specifically designed to
hold a candle that would be lit as soon as a pregnant woman went into labor...accoucher
is a French verb that means "to give birth".
Sainte Marie is the patron to women in labor,
and she's also the patron to the human race in general, as well as wine
growers, cooks, fishermen, and cyclists in particular. And as if that
wasn't enough, she also provides protection from stormy weather! With that
much versatility,you could light a candle in it for many occasions.
(Many French
faïence vierges are erroneously described as being "d'accouchée...note
that without
the hole in the crown, it is not a d'accouchéé version...the saints with
solid crowns were intended to hold holy water).
Standing 9.5
inches high with a 3.675 inch diameter base, the figure is in mint
condition...as lovely as when it was first made...in Malicorne's Plat
d'Etain pottery factory during the last quarter of the nineteenth
century.
Unsigned, we guarantee it to be vintage Malicorne...the mold is pictured on page 53 of Stéphane Deschang's book,
Les Faïences de Malicorne.
The expressions
are particularly well-painted...
...and the colors exhibit the mellowness that is characteristic of
Malicorne production. The faces have a vibrancy that stems from the deep
red aspect of Malicorne clay influencing the overglaze.
The circular base holds the inscription...
...and by looking at the underneath of the base...
...you can see the color of the clay and note that it was produced using
the molding method known as éstampée...later examples used
liquified clay and are totally hollow.
Condition is
mint...complete with all the wonderful paint bloops and fingerprints indicative
of early Malicorne production!
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