Large 19th Century French Painted Faience Porquier Beau Quimper Serving Platter

$1,800

About

Decorate a kitchen wall or a shelf with this important antique wall platter. Created by Porquier Beau in Quimper, France circa 1895, the large hand-painted ceramic plate depicts two beggars asking for help. The flower shaped platter is decorated with a two-tone blue leaf border, and is embellished in the center top with the Brittany coat of arms. The colorful wall faience piece is in excellent condition commensurate with age and use. The decorative plate would make an outstanding addition to your porcelain collection. Stamped with crossed PB marking (for Porquier Beau) with following words: “la Chanson de Noel”, or “The Christmas Carol”. Hook in the back for easy hanging. 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: 18″ W x 18″ H.

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