Large 19th Century French Painted Faience Porquier Beau Quimper Dish

$1,200

About

Enhance your shelf, dining table, or kitchen island with this exquisite antique Quimper centerpiece by Porquier-Beau, crafted in France circa 1895. This hand-painted faience dish boasts a striking heraldic crest at its base, featuring a crowned shield adorned with ermine motifs, flanked by two winged mythical creatures, and framed by elegant two-tone blue and yellow arabesque scrollwork. Each side of the dish is richly decorated with a traditional Breton scene, showcasing the region’s artistic heritage. One side features a farmer in traditional attire, holding a scythe, while the opposite side depicts a woman carrying a basket of fruit while a child eats a fruit from the basket. These charming illustrations are gracefully united at the top by a striped ribbon bow. The wonderful faience piece is in excellent condition commensurate with age and use, with rich and vibrant colors. The decorative serving dish would make an outstanding addition to your porcelain collection as it is both decorative and functional, it is ideal for displaying candies, snacks, or even nuts. Stamped with crossed PB marking (for Porquier Beau). Quimper pottery has a long, impressive history. Tin-glazed, hand painted pottery has been made in Quimper, France since the late seventeenth century. The earliest firm, founded in 1685 by Jean Baptiste Bousquet, was known as HB Quimper. Another firm, founded in 1772 by Francois Eloury, was known as Porquier. The third firm, founded by Guillaume Dumaine in 1778, was known as HR or Henriot Quimper. All three firms made similar pottery decorated with designs of Breton peasants and maritime and flower motifs. The Eloury (Porquier) and Dumaine (Henriot) firms merged in 1913. Bousquet (HB) merged with the others in 1968. The group was sold to a United States family in 1984. More changes followed, and in 2011 Jean-Pierre Le Goff became the owner and the name was changed to Henriot-Quimper. The French firm has been called Societe Nouvelle des Faienceries de Quimper HB Henriot since March 1984. Pottery was made in Quimper when the city was part of the Roman Empire, long before tin-glazed pottery was being made. Measures: 10″ W x 6.25″ D x 7.25″ H.

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