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.
Summer is here and Quimper is celebrating its arrival in typical Quimper fashion...
...with concerts...this one, a dignified event featuring students of the music conservatory taking advantage of the Cathedral's acoustics...
...and on the very same night, this one featuring an animated crowd enjoying traditional breton music.
Music is an important part of everyday life here...something that the potteries recognized...
...as illustrated above with an Alfred Beau drawing and the detail of a motif hand-painted on a Porquier-Beau vase.
And where there is music, dancing is not that far behind...
It was true back then...
...and is just as true today.
Around sixty years separate the Quimper dancing scenes above...the Porquier-Beau plate dates from circa 1890 and the Henriot group of dancing figures sculpted by Robert Micheau-Vernez is from the 1950s.
Bretons have heralded the beginning of summer with special celebrations for thousands of years. In the Fifth Century A.D., Newly-arrived Church officials sought to downplay existing customs which they considered to be pagan. Celebration dates were moved from the actual summer solstice on the 21st or 22nd of June to the 24th of June, permanently aligning the event with the feast day of John the Baptist.
The Feu de Saint-Jean ( Fire of Saint John ) is the culmination of a day of festivities...
...festivities that are rooted in centuries of tradition...tradition that continues to this day. The photo above shows the stack of firewood prepared for this year's bonfire.
An Henriot bowl from the 1920s by René-Yves Creston with a colorful Fête de Saint-Jean scene. The participants believed that ashes from the bonfire would protect their crops from storms.
Summer is also a time when many of the parishes throughout Brittany celebrate their pardon...a joyous occasion that was captured by Georges Renard on this Quimper plaque.
Bretons will take advantage of the warm weather to participate in sports...
...in this case, a competitive game of pétanque...
...again, a part of Breton life that found its way onto Quimper pottery !
Quimper takes on a carnival atmosphere during the summer...
...with balloon vendors...
...ice cream on every corner...
...and an occasional surprise...like this panda trying to find a spot of shade.
That gives you a pretty good idea of what goes on around here during the summer...hope you have one that is just as much fun !
That's my memo for this month; I hope you enjoy my sharing our adventures in Quimper!