19th Century French Onnaing Hand-Painted Barbotine Soldier Pitcher

$425

About

Colorful and highly expressive, this antique barbotine pitcher depicts a Belgian soldier seated confidently upon a barrel. Crafted in Northern France circa 1880 by the Onnaing Faïencerie, the sculptural majolica jug is associated with the late-19th-century campaign to reduce the length of compulsory military service.

The uniformed figure wears a green tunic with red epaulettes, beige trousers, and a tall military cap. His exaggerated facial expression, prominent mustache, and animated pose give the pitcher the humorous, satirical character for which Onnaing figural wares are admired. The barrel forms the lower body of the vessel, while the soldier’s back and clothing are cleverly incorporated into its functional form. Richly hand-painted shades of green, red, brown, and beige accentuate the deeply molded details.

The underside is stamped “F.O.” for Faïencerie d’Onnaing and numbered “752.” The model is also illustrated on page 78 of Maryse Bottero’s reference book Pichets en Barbotine.

Founded in 1821, the Onnaing factory became renowned for imaginative majolica pitchers, planters, and character wares inspired by military figures, historical personalities, trades, and everyday life. This collectible example is in excellent condition commensurate with age and use, retaining vivid colors and crisp sculptural detail.

Dimensions: 7″ W x 5″ D x 11″ H.

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