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Porquier-Beau
Jardinière
Whether filled with flowers and
set in the center of the table or on a sideboard, or on its own on a
shelf...
...this is an outstanding Porquier-Beau jardinière that is sure to
impress.
One side is painted with a
charming scène bretonne...
...an uncommonly found scene of a lovely couple from Quimper strolling along
behind a man with a
cane and a bombarde player...one of the rituals of a Breton marriage where
the newlyweds traditionally go from village tavern to village tavern...and
dance before the celebrating patrons. It is expertly painted...the detail
of the village in the background
is stunning.
The other side...
...features an elegant double crest...that of the Duchy of Brittany and
on the right, the crest of the town
of Quimper...
...all set within beautiful Rouen-inspired floral motifs... 
 It
measures 16 inches wide, 5 inches high, and 8.25 inches deep.
The edges of three of the feet
have some minor dings that have been "blued in", but as you can see, the
appearance is excellent.
It dates from 1894 to 1903 and
has the entwined P and B mark with a serif...
A lovely piece...ready to take
center stage!
HB Quimper Plat à Gâteaux...(Cake Plate)...with ROL Design
This unusual cake plate features a cheerful
nautical motif designed by René Olichon (1912-1969).
And in true "Quimper is
hand-painted" fashion, the design was painted a wee bit off kilter from
the traditional (boring) where the handles are precisely and evenly at
each side. It displays perfectly on a plate stand or with a plate hanger
and quite frankly, I think that this aspect just adds to its individuality
and charm!
The motif of the boat setting
sail with the rays of the sun as a backdrop is fabulous! René
Olichon was an artist and photographer thought to have been a friend of
Louis Bolloré who was the partner of Jules Verlingue in the 1920s and
eventually served as the Director of the HB factory when Verlingue left in
1932. Using the pseudonym of ROL, Olichon created several designs for both
HB's Odetta line and for décors on faïence.
The plate measures 11.6875
inches in diameter from handle to handle and 10.6875 inches in diameter
from top to bottom. It is 1.5 inches high...the handles curve up a bit to
measure 1.75 inches high.
Appearance is perfect...it has two itty-bitty, almost ridiculous to
mention, dings to the edge and on the backside, it looks like there were a
couple of small chips repaired. None of this shows in the least from the
front. There are two small glaze pops, one in the sail and one in the
outer border and a little speck of kiln dust right around "six o'clock" on
the edge of the yellow circle around the central motif.
It's signed on the back...HB Quimper 307 with one of the "morse-code"
signatures...
Circa 1930...a wonderful example of the work of "the artists between the
wars".
Matched Pair of Porquier-Beau Triple Spice Boxes with Covers
A terrific pair of Porquier-Beau trilobed spice boxes with covers...
...here's what they look like closed...
...and here's what they look like opened...when you want to get to the spices inside...salt, pepper, etc....the lid
swivels...
...allowing one to take just the amount they desire. Elegant and
Functional!
They are a matched
pair...that is they were made at the same time...painted by the same artist...and
always meant to be a pair. The
lid of each one is marked to correspond to the proper corresponding original
base.
Here's a close-up view of one so you can see the marvelous Rouen-inspired
decoration...
...and the interesting form with each box set upon three paw feet.
Here's a bird's eye view...
Each has two lobes decorated with a basket of flowers...
...and the remaining lobe has the crest of the town of Saint Malo...
...featuring a red shield topped with the ducal crown of Brittany . Within
the shield there is a
white ermine wearing a scarf with stylized ermine tail design that is standing upon
a yellow portcullis...the same type of portcullis or iron gate that for
centuries protected the fortified town of Saint Malo.
The top of the lid is in the form of a flower...
Each trilobed box and cover measures 5 inches high, 5 inches wide, and
stands 2.675 inches high with the lid in place.
Each of the four pieces are
marked with the entwined "P" and "B" for Porquier-Beau...
Here's the lid of one...
...which fits into the bottom of its mate...
...a clever design which protects the piece from being damaged.
Here's the base of that one...complete with part of an original store
label...circa 1895.
And the faïencerie thought of everything...so you won't be confused
as to which lid belongs to which base...the two portions of the other
spice box are marked with small "x"s...
...here's the lid for that one...
...here's the attachment area of its base...
...and here's the Porquier-Beau marking on the bottom of the base...
...which also has part of an original store label.
Condition is excellent...some
areas of thin glaze original to when the pieces were made...and some of
the paw feet have some teeny nibbles...
...but nothing to mar the beauty of these elegant additions to your table
setting!
HR
Quimper Tureen or
Soupière
What better way to say "soup's
on" than with this charming HR Quimper soup tureen? The French term
for a tureen is soupière while the Breton word for soup is
soubenn...one can well imagine a petite bretonne presenting this piece
filled with piping hot soubenn al legumaj (vegetable soup) or that
Breton signature specialty...soubenn ar pesked (fish soup).
It measures 7.125 inches high to the
tip of its blue conical-topped lid and 9 inches wide from adorable furled
side handle to adorable furled side handle. It will hold 6 cups of
soup...but why limit it to just soup...what about using it for your famous
pot-au-feu?
The lid is decorated with a
charming petit breton holding his pipe...
...and both the lid and the base are
signed HR Quimper...
It is in great condition...the handles have
typical wear from loving use, the lid has a small chip on the inner rim
that does not show in the least, and the rim of the base has one small
chip...you can see it in the top photo, but it's quite small and if you
turn the lid to the other side, no one would be the wiser! The colorful
decoration has the customary bloops and skips that typify this era of
production...it is after all, over a hundred years old!
A "super soupière" that will be a
wonderful addition to your country kitchen or dining room sideboard...
Henriot Quimper Plate...Service La Mer by Mathurin Méheut
Mathurin Méheut (1882-1958) was born in Brittany...in Lamballe...and quit
school at the age of eleven to work in his father's furniture-making
studio. Luckily his talent for drawing was quickly recognized and
fostered. After working as an illustrator for a Parisian publisher, Méhuet
was introduced to Quimper pottery...probably through his friendship with
the sculptor Louis-Henri Nicot. This plate is part of the La Mer service created
by Méheut in 1923. It was included in the
Henriot factory's exhibit at the famous 1925 Arts Décoratifs Exposition in
Paris for which both he
and the Henriot factory received a Grand Prize!
In the photographs above and below, you can compare the detail view of the
actual plate with Méheut's original design drawing.
The name of the type of fish is called labre and it looks
spectacular next to the stylized oursins...or sea urchins.
The plate measures 8.25 inches
in diameter and is in excellent condition. It has a few pops and a couple
of small spots of wear to the glaze, but no cracks, chips, or
restorations.
The original service consisted of 88 pieces...plates,
pitchers, soup tureens...all had the distinctive green stripes with the plates
featuring twelve
different central motifs of various creatures of the sea.
The colors are clear and luminous; circa 1925, the plate
is signed on the back with the mark of both the factory and Mathurin
Méheut.
HB-Henriot Assiette d'Essai...Signature
Trial Plate
For the Quimper collector who wants something really different, here's an assiette d'essai...test
plate...completely covered in the signature of the HB-Henriot factory that
was used from 2003 to 2011.
This specific mark was inaugurated in 2003 when the ownership of the factory changed.
(The American group of investors led by Paul and Sarah Janssens had just
sold the company to a French group of investors led by Pierre
Chiron...thereby ending the almost twenty years of American ownership of
a Quimper pottery).
Of course, as of July of 2011,
there is no longer an HB-Henriot mark...the factory being sold once more
and taking the name of Henriot-Quimper. So this makes for an interesting
collectors' item.
The repetition of the signature
is a pleasing pattern in itself. The marki is distinguished from the
earlier verson by a sort
of stylized fence above the HB Henriot. I asked at the factory, but was
unable to determine who is indicated by the notation "A.D" . Perhaps it was
an apprentice piece or a model plate...destined to guide the team of
painters.
 The
reverse is marked as well and makes note that this was the fifth trial. At any rate, measuring
10.875 inches in
diameter and in mint condition, it is quite different from the norm and is
sure to be a conversation piece.
Perhaps you could begin a family
tradition and when someone passes a particular test or milestone, this
could be their special plate for the occasion.
HR Quimper Covered Box...Plat pour servir les sardines
The old Henriot
catalogs that we have in our archives show this form on a page full of
ashtrays, bells, and cheese servers. This particular piece is actually
earlier than those catalogs, so perhaps it was an error or oversight or a
change in customs. But at the time this piece was made...around 1915 or
so...the business of sardines...catching, preparing, canning, etc....was
one of the largest industries along the Breton coast.
This vintage photograph of Breton fishermen bringing in a boat full of
sardines gives you an idea.
So we're calling it a un plat pour servir les sardines...a dish
originally intended to serve sardines. The designation may have changed in
the first years of the twentieth century because in 1902 the sardines
suddenly disappeared from the Breton coast...prompting considerable
economic hardship. This piece may have been part of the celebration of the
sardines' return!
But, whatever the contents...it's a great addition to your table!
It consists of a tray with attached box; the tray measures 8.75 inches
wide and 7.25 inches deep and the lid is 4.75 inches wide by 3.5 inches.
Overall the piece with the lid stands 2.125 inches high.
The form and the intricate decoration are indicative of a piece created in
the demi-fantasie studio of the pottery's artisans...a bit more
skill was required for a successful result!
The form is both attractive and functional...no drips on the tablecloth!
There are two small areas on the rim of the tray and one on the corner of
the lid that have been "blued-in", but as you can see, the appearance is
excellent!
Both the lid and the tray are signed HR Quimper.
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