Memo from J-P
For this page of oldquimper.com, we give the floor to Jean-Pierre, who serves as the CFO (Chief Feline Officer) of The Meadows Collection. Appointed to that position in 2007, he has gamely agreed to attempt the daunting task of taking over the duties previously fulfilled by the late, but ever-present-in-our-hearts, Porquier-Beau...whose image continues to grace the upper left corner of this link.
Jean-Pierre is fourteen-years-old, which translates to seventy-two in human years. He is still very young-at-heart and so full of enthusiasm that he has bravely stepped up to the plate.
It is with great pleasure that we pass along the latest Memo from J-P:
Greetings to all.
First a little bit about me:
Jean-Pierre is fourteen-years-old, which translates to seventy-two in human years. He is still very young-at-heart and so full of enthusiasm that he has bravely stepped up to the plate.
It is with great pleasure that we pass along the latest Memo from J-P:
Greetings to all.
First a little bit about me:
I was born in Paris and am thoroughly français despite paperwork that lists me as being a chat de la fôret norvégienne (Norwegian Forest Cat). My full name is Châtelain Jean-Pierre. Châtelain because being born in 2007... December 21, 2007 to be precise...means that in accordance with French regulations, my name must begin with the letter 'c'. Those born in 2008 have names that begin with a 'd', those born in 2009 have names beginning with the letter 'e' and so on.
Châtelain is a French term from the Middle Ages used to distinguish the seigneur or lord of the manor. We live in Quimper now, so it's more like lord of the apartment...but the important part is that I rule the roost, so to speak. Jean is in reference to Jean-Baptiste Bousquet who settled in Quimper in 1699 and Pierre is in honor of his son, Pierre Bousquet, who in 1708 founded Quimper's first modern -day pottery factory.
Châtelain is a French term from the Middle Ages used to distinguish the seigneur or lord of the manor. We live in Quimper now, so it's more like lord of the apartment...but the important part is that I rule the roost, so to speak. Jean is in reference to Jean-Baptiste Bousquet who settled in Quimper in 1699 and Pierre is in honor of his son, Pierre Bousquet, who in 1708 founded Quimper's first modern -day pottery factory.
Every once in a while I like to put the spotlight on a specific topic…it might be an unusual example of Quimper pottery or perhaps a further look at a place or structure…something that I feel will further your enjoyment of French faïence.
And then sometimes I take this opportunity to share with you some of our adventures in Quimper...because one of the results of being so gab-smacked enamored of Quimper pottery has led to the inevitable and now we live in Quimper...right in the middle of Old Town !
I'm an indoor cat, but I do see a lot from our windows and the folks are always up for an adventure. Here's a quick rundown of what we were up to last month...it will give you a bit of a taste of the sights and sounds of living in Quimper.
A bit of a surprise in centre-ville the other day...the crosswalk at the intersection of rue du Parc and the bridge across the Odet River at the level of rue Sainte-Catherine was suddenly transformed into a Breton flag.
The Breton flag is the Gwenn ha Du , which means "white and black" in Breton. It is composed of an upper left field of black stylised ermine tails on a white ground and horizontal bands of white and black stripes. The stylised ermine tails have long been associated with the region. In 1213, the knight Pierre de Dreux became the duke of Brittany. He chose as his emblem the ermine tail, which at the time was a symbol of the clergy...a choice that reflected his earlier studies to become a priest.
As Pierre 1er of Brittany, he added a field of stylised ermine tails onto the left corner of his family's crest to acknowledge his ecclesiastical background.
The Breton flag in its present form did not appear until 1923. The Breton Movement was in full swing...this was a regionalist movement with its members seeing Brittany as a totally separate entity from France. A fervent supporter, the Breton architect Morvan Marchal designed the flag using the ermine tails and adding horizontal bands to represent the nine Breton counties: Cornouaille, Léon, Trégor, Vannetais, Pays de Dol, Pays de Saint-Brieuc, Pays de Saint- Malo, Pays Nantes and Pays Rennes. The black and white is said to symbolise the two native languages spoken in Brittany: Gallo and Breton.
The fur of an ermine changes color with the seasons...all except for the tip of its tail, which remains black even while the rest of its coat changes from dark brown/black to white in the winter. This came to symbolize the tenacity of the Bretons and when the French government...seeking to centralize authority and downplay regionalism... forbade the use of the Breton flag, stylized ermine tails became part of a "secret" language between members and sympathisers of the movement.
With their meaning newly emphasised, ermine tails became more than a purely decorative motif and once that meaning is made apparent, one becomes more aware of the stylized ermine tails that appear in many forms of Bretagne decorative arts...
On this vintage travel poster, the horse on which Anne de Bretagne sits wears a blanket emblazoned with stylized ermine tails...the poster was designed by André Galland...an artist who contributed designs to the Henriot pottery.
A procession banner belonging the the cathedral in Vannes is a proud bearer of ermine tails...
And, of course, the potters of Quimper gave their pieces an ample sprinkling of ermine tails...some examples:
An HB wall pocket from circa 1880...
...Alfred Beau designed an arabesque border centered with a crest of Brittany for his scènes bretonnes series...
...and the border on this HR Quimper plate alternates the crest of Brittany with floral sprays.
The crest of the town of Quimper has stylised ermine tails above a ram...
...and this Quimper faïence figure of Saint Yves has his judicial robes genrously-edged in the stylized ermine tail motif.
That's my memo for this month; I hope you enjoy my sharing our adventures in Quimper!