Shop in Your Slippers
On these pages, we feature a small portion of our extensive inventory of vintage Quimper pottery. We stand behind our pieces and guarantee each to be as described. Your satisfaction is protected with a certificate of authenticity; returns are accepted when notified within three days of receipt. Buyer pays for return shipping. We accept payment in US dollars via PayPal or arrangements can be made for payment by US bank check or postal money order; debit and credit cards are processed via PayPal...our PayPal address is either oldquimper@yahoo.com or meadows@oldquimper.com.
For larger purchases, we are famous for our slow, painless lay-a-ways. That's where you decide how much you want to pay and when...no payment is too small and no time frame is too long! Quimper pottery is one-of-a-kind art...if the right piece comes along just when you need new tires, we understand...believe me, there's nothing worse than us having to answer "No, I'm sorry" when someone asks "Do you still have...?"
We ship via the French postal service (La Poste) and all items are carefully packaged by our in-house, maniacal Virgo...double-boxed with extra packing material, tracking number, insured, etc. Shipping from Quimper to a US address typically takes 6 to 8 days.
If you wish to have your item shipped to a location other than the US or if you have any questions, please remember that we're just an email away! Just contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com.
Ready?
Slippers on?
Let's go shopping!
For larger purchases, we are famous for our slow, painless lay-a-ways. That's where you decide how much you want to pay and when...no payment is too small and no time frame is too long! Quimper pottery is one-of-a-kind art...if the right piece comes along just when you need new tires, we understand...believe me, there's nothing worse than us having to answer "No, I'm sorry" when someone asks "Do you still have...?"
We ship via the French postal service (La Poste) and all items are carefully packaged by our in-house, maniacal Virgo...double-boxed with extra packing material, tracking number, insured, etc. Shipping from Quimper to a US address typically takes 6 to 8 days.
If you wish to have your item shipped to a location other than the US or if you have any questions, please remember that we're just an email away! Just contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com.
Ready?
Slippers on?
Let's go shopping!
Early HB Quimper Plate with Bordure Pliée... Folded Border
An unusual and very decorative example of early HB Quimper...circa 1900, the turned border on this piece reflects HB's ability to tune-in to the styles and trends of the day. Not to mention that the Porquier factory was producing similar pieces and HB was always keen to take notice of its competition.
The effect was achieved by rolling the still-wet clay of a more typical round plate; the extra effort obviously warranted an imaginative decoration ! The border was given a colorful treatment and further accented with colorful floral sprays and stylized ermine tails.
The effect was achieved by rolling the still-wet clay of a more typical round plate; the extra effort obviously warranted an imaginative decoration ! The border was given a colorful treatment and further accented with colorful floral sprays and stylized ermine tails.
In the center, a petite bretonne in a traditional costume like that worn in Saint-Thegonnec sits with the tools she uses to hand-spin linen. In her left hand, she holds a distaff or quenouille with its ribboned mass of fibers. In her right, is the spindle for holding the finished, twisted threads that will later be woven into household fabrics and clothing.
All charmingly depicted by the skilled artist known only as "number 5"...as the factory mark on the back attests...
The plate measures 7.5 inches by 6 inches and has a foot rim that is pierced for hanging. Condition-wise, the glaze did not consistently adhere to the edges of the turned corners...probably original to when it was made...and some of the "teeth" on the dents de loup border have been "blued-in".
Appearance is fantastic...especially for a piece of this age !
Early HB Quimper plate with bordure pliée...folded border is $85.US plus $30. as a contribution towards the insured shipping to a US address for a total of $115.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Henriot Quimper Tulipière....
With its large and positively regal form...this vase looks great on its own, even without any tulips...or other flowers for that matter...in any of its eight openings.
It's gorgeous from all angles...
...with glorious cobalt blues, iron reds, copper greens and antimony yellows !
It measures an imposing 9.5 inches high, 9.5 inches wide and 4.75 inches deep...and weighs more than two and a half pounds ! Condition is excellent...no dings, cracks or chips...most of the inside of the vase openings have glaze skips that are original to when it was made circa 1925-1930.
The jaunty petit breton on one side was "inspired" by Hippolyte Lalaisse's watercolor of a man from Ploudaniel...one of the illustrations in his Galerie Amoricaine...a book of Breton costumes published in 1846.
Skillfully decorated...
...with strong colors and striking motifs including an intricate croisillé pattern on the sides...
...no wonder it is proudly signed on the bottom.
Henriot Quimper tulipière is $285.US plus $45. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $330.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
HR Quimper Assiette à Huîtres...Demi-Fantasie Oyster Plate
Brittany has been famous for its oysters since the days when it was part of the Roman Empire as well as centuries later, when eating oysters became a symbol of fine dining circa 1900. It was a time when a celebration simply wasn't complete without oysters on the menu.
Enter the oyster plate...specifically intended for being part of the festivities. Signed HR Quimper and measuring 8.875 inches in diameter, this shell-motif plate has all the hallmarks of an early example from the Henriot pottery's demi-fantasie studio. It has six indentations for the oysters encircling a floral-decorated area for lemon slices or additional garnishes. The shell-shaped indentations alternate with additional shells in golden-yellow stripes.
One shell has a petit breton...
...another has a petite bretonne...
...with the rest of the indentations decorated with floral sprays and the "four-dot" motif.
Condition-wise: it has the usual bloops and pops of that early era of production, but after over 100 years of festivities, no cracks and just a few areas of glaze loss to the back edges and some "blued-in" areas to the edges.
The mark on the back...
Great colors and form on this early piece of Quimper pottery...
Sorry...HR Quimper Assiette à Huîtres...Demi-Fantasie Oyster Plate is sold.
Early HB ( only ) Fan-Form Vase...Both Sides Decorated with Bretons
Elaborately decorated on both sides...this spectacular early HB piece can present a welcome problem...how to decide which side to display ? It's a fortunate dilemma...
One side features a well-dressed biniou player serenading a petite bretonne sitting with her distaff...
...and the other has a bretonne from Douarnenez on her way to market and a breton fisherman from Douarnenez in his bare feet. Both of the scenes on this side were "inspired" by watercolors by Hippolyte Lalaisse published in 1845-1846. In the original Lalaisse depiction, the fisherman is a young boy...for this scene, the artist at Henriot made him a pipe-smoking grown-up.
It's an early piece...dating from circa 1900...and is signed HB ( only )on the bottom of one of the feet...
...and what great looking feet they are...
Here's a closer look at the central motif of each side to help you decide which one to display...
...a difficult decision; so why not turn it around every once in a while ?
And take a look at the photos below and you'll see that it's not just the central motifs and the feet that are decorative...
It measures 10.375 inches wide, 6.125 inches high and 2.125 inches deep; the fan is partitioned to make floral arrangements easy and each side of the opening has an additional blue-accented opening for a single flower.
Condition-wise...as you can see from the photographs, it's in fantastic shape for a vase that is over 100 years old !
There is a chip on the very bottom on one side and small bits of glaze loss to some of the points of the fan.
Nothing to distract from the beauty of the scenes on both sides...this one...
...and this one !
Reserved...Early HB ( only ) fan-form vase...both sides decorated with Bretons...is $ 325. US plus $35. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $ 360. US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Soup's On ! Porquier Soupière...Covered Soup Tureen
9.5 inches high and and 10.125 inches wide...this colorful Quimper faïence soup tureen is decorated with classic Porquier renditions of the petit breton and petite bretonne figures standing amidst floral sprays.
The domed lid is 8.675 inches in diameter and like the base, is encircled with hand-painted floral sprays, stripes and dots.
There's no mistaking the AP ( Arthur Porquier ) figures from the Porquier pottery circa 1900...so much so that even though the tureen is not signed...not uncommon for pieces of this era...we guarantee it to be authentic, antique Quimper from that era and that pottery.
Condition-wise...it looks terrific, especially considering its age...there is a chip here and there, but nothing that diminishes its appeal. There is a small chip to the glaze on the tureen base...
...and another chip to the underside of the lid...
Glaze pops, especially in the reds, and the missing glaze on the bottom of the base are original to its making and consistent with the fabrication techniques utilized in that era of production. A gorgeous addition to your table, sideboard or cabinet !
Soup's on ! Porquier soupière...covered soup tureen is $ 245.US plus $35. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $280.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Quimper Faïence Secouettes à Tabac
Small and uniquely different, Quimper secouettes are fun to collect, They were used by both men and women and were traditionally given as a token of affection or remembrance and often were used to commemorate an engagement to marry. Because of this, they remained cherished objects of daily life in Brittany. What's the difference between a tabatière and a secouette à tabac? A tabatiere is generally a box with a cover that lifts to allow access to pinch a bit of the processed tobacco. The secouette is a closed receptacle. It was carried with you throughout the day and reminded you of the loved one who gave it to you each and every time you used it. The content comes out of the opening by shaking the receptacle into the palm of your hand so that the snuff comes out between the thumb and the index finger. The term secouette comes from the French word for " to shake"...secouer.
They come in an array of shapes and sizes including the two shown below:
Heart-shaped Secouette...Petit Breton and Fleur de Lys
The quintessential shape for a love token...a heart-shaped secouette !
A debonair petit breton adorns one side...looking like a real rascal in his colorful red culottes.
Turn it over...
...and there's a large fleur de lys in the colors that represent desire and enthusiasm...
Unsigned, the form was first used by the Porquier pottery, but we have seen examples of heart secouettes signed by the HB factory, so while he certainly looks to be a Porquier petit breton...exactly which Quimper pottery cannot be said positively. Late 19th century-very early 20th century, condition is excellent...
No chips, cracks or dings.. rubbing to the glaze around the opening and as you can see in the photos, there are some glaze pops here and there and one area of thin glaze to the left of the petit breton. All normal for this era of production. It measures a generous 2.875 inches high, 2.375 inches wide and 1.375 inches deep.
Heart-shaped secouette...petit breton and fleur de lys is $150.US plus $25. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $175.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
HR Quimper Bottle-form Secouette...Petit Breton
With yellow gaiters accenting his sturdy legs, this petit breton hopes to serve as a remembrance of his human counterpart each time the bottle was shaken !
On the other side, a romantic bouquet of flowers enhances the message of affection.
It measures 3.5 inches high, 1.675 inches wide and .875 of an inch deep. As so often happens with pieces that were used several times a day...day in and day out...the glaze on the top and on the very bottom has been worn...
...there are the typical bloops and pops of this era of production and there is an area on the side where the glaze never adhered in the first place...
Marked underneath the petit breton "HR Quimper", it was made circa 1910. That's a lot of love and affection !
HR Quimper bottle-form secouette...petit breton is $145.US plus $25. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $170.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Classic HR Quimper "Bluebird" Plate
Here's a plate with yellow and blue striped bands encircling the central motif of a bird...but not just any bird...it's a Quimper bird that is a glorious cobalt blue !
Which exact species is unknown, but we're leaning toward "the bluebird of happiness"...a symbol of the joy and happiness that awaits in your future.
It's a joyful and happy antique...made around 1900...and it measures 9.25 inches in diameter. Condition-wise...on the back...
...there are some areas where the glaze skipped or rubbed off on the very edge and two small chips to the back edge, along with evidence of pernettes...used to elevate pieces from the kiln floor...and the remnants of a label from an early collector or shop.
The front of the plate has some minuscule bits of glaze skips to the outer edge and a pop and a bloop in the border, but these are original to when it was made and none of it gets in the way of this colorful bluebird fulfilling its traditional role of being a harbinger of happiness, good health and prosperity !
Classic HR Quimper bluebird plate is $145.US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $175.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Matched Pair of HR Quimper Festonnée-Form Plates
Take an elegant festonnée form that is outlined with a cobalt blue band, add a border adorned with colorful floral sprays and a cheerful blue four-dot motif and then paint a traditionally-dressed Breton in the center...that's a recipe for a great Quimper plate...and here we're talking about a pair and not just any pair, but a matched pair...painted at the same time, by the same artist.
Dating from circa 1915 and measuring 9.375 inches in diameter, here's a closer look. First the petit breton...
The multi-colored floral border...
...encircles a Breton from Quimper playing the biniou...
...a motif that was created for Henriot back in the 1890s by Camille Moreau when he was tasked with the making of a complete table service for the wedding of his boss, factory owner Jules Henriot.
Now for the petite bretonne plate...
She is a woman from Pont-l'Abbé and was "inspired" by a watercolor by Hippolyte Lalaisse published in 1845-1846. The floral spray border is the same as the one on her mate's...
...and complements the sprays on each side of the petite bretonne...
...she appears to be leaning back taking a break from her spinning...perhaps she's listening to the biniou music ?
Condition-wise...the petit breton has some some glaze skips on the back edge that don't show when displayed...they are original to when the plate was first made. He also has a small spot of errant blue glaze on his bragou or culottes; the petite bretonne has glaze skips on the rim original to when it was first made...at 5 o'clock and 10 o'clock in the overall photo and she has suffered an area of glaze loss...most likely from one of those dastardly French plate hangers. It's at 7 o'clock in the overall photo.
Fortunately, the plates are so lovely, it's not a distraction.
They are signed on the back as shown above.
Sorry...Matched pair of HR Quimper festonnée-form plates is sold.
Desvres 19th Century Fourmaintraux-Frères Brittany/ Normandy Plate
This unique plate was made at the Fourmaintraux-Frères pottery in Desvres and dates from the period of 1879-1887.
From its fanciful heavily-scalloped shape to its distinctive heraldic symbols of the provinces of Brittany and Normandy...not to mention its imaginative "grotesques"...this is a most unusual plate!
It's one of those pieces that has so much interest, you notice something different every time you look at it...see for yourself:
From its fanciful heavily-scalloped shape to its distinctive heraldic symbols of the provinces of Brittany and Normandy...not to mention its imaginative "grotesques"...this is a most unusual plate!
It's one of those pieces that has so much interest, you notice something different every time you look at it...see for yourself:
The colors and detail of the crests...Brittany on the left and Normandy on the right...are glorious !
Detail views of the imaginative and fanciful creatures that surround the crests...
...fantasy figures stand on water...
...lions flank a jester-like creature...
...everywhere you look, there's a fanciful creature !
The back rim is pierced for hanging denoting that it was alway intended as a decorative piece. It measures 9.5" across and is in near mint condition...there are three small flea-bites on the very edge and a few skips and pops consistent with its early era of production.
It is signed "Bagnoles" on the back in manganese with an artist's mark and the form number 1212. ( Bagnoles is a small town in Normandy, northwest of Alençon, in the department of Orne ).
Desvres 19th century Fourmaintraux-Frères Brittany/Normandy plate is $185.US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $215.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Malicorne Puzzle Jug...Émile Tessier
In the nineteenth century, a Malicorne puzzle jug...known in France as pichet à secret, pot à surprise or pichet trompeur became virtually synonymous with pottery from that area of the Sarthe.
Originating as a tavern game, then appearing at royal banquets, the earliest example of a puzzle jug dates from the 14th century. The challenge is to drink or pour from a perforated vessel...a feat that appears to be impossible. The secret lies in knowing where and how to hold it.
Émile Tessier (1887-1971) worked at Léon Pouplard's Plat d'Etain factory in Malicorne before opening his own pottery in 1926. His was a life of passion and creativity when dealing with ceramics and in his later years, he founded the well-respected Malicorne pottery museum. Technically proficient and artistically talented, Tessier's glaze is famously smooth and lustrous and his modeling is superb.
Over the years, puzzle jugs were given as a love token and also became a popular gift for birthdays and bachelor parties. It's easy to see how connoisseurs of wine and other bon vivants can appreciate the beautiful modeling...
...of grapes and grapevines on this sophisticated example.
Vibrant colors and attention to detail give this piece additional appeal.
It will hold a healthy amount...measuring 8.5 inches high and 6.25 inches wide, including the handle...provided, of course, that the server can solve the puzzle.
Here's a visual hint.
As you can see from the photographs, it is in mint condition...one glaze pop and a couple of bits of kiln dust...all original to when it was made. It can be difficult to date Tessier production; the pottery was operational from 1926 to 1971 without definitive lines of demarcation as with dating Quimper. For this piece, the lustrous quality of the glaze most likely puts it in the later portion of production...definitely post World War II, so perhaps circa 1960 is a prudent call.
The Emile Tessier mark on the bottom.
Malicorne puzzle jug...Émile Tessier is $85.US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $115.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
HR Quimper Maries de Kerlouan Arabesque-Border Plate
The central motif depicts a newly-married couple dressed in the traditional costume worn in Kerlouan...a Breton village 90 kilometers...about an hour's drive...north of Quimper.
The pose and style of the couple's outfits were initially documented in a watercolor that was part of the portfolio of Hippolyte Lalaisse's watercolors that was originally published in 1845-1846...
...entitled Maries de Kerlouan...Lalaisse's scene was translated beautifully onto faïence...
The happy duo present a dashing and very happy couple.
The border features deep blue arabesque swirls on a yellow ground topped with a stylized crest of the region of Brittany...
The plate measures 9.675 inches in diameter and dates from circa 1910. Condition is excellent...some minor rough areas on the back edge.
Another look at the plate confirms that it displays beautifully !
Signed HR Quimper below the bride as well as on the reverse side...
Sorry...HR Quimper Maries de Kerlouan plate is sold.
Keraluc...Jos Le Corre Pichet...Motif: Oiseaux Branché avec Fleurs
Jos Le Corre (born Joseph 1925-1979) studied at the École des Beaux-Arts...School of Fine Arts...in both Quimper and Paris. He was a painter, poster designer, ceramist and eventually art professor at his Quimper alma mater. After the end of World War II, when the Quimper potteries were restarting regular production, Le Corre made a few pieces of faïence at the HB pottery, but management deemed them to be too time intensive and the relationship did not flourish.
Enter Victor Lucas (1897-1958) and his innovative Keraluc pottery. The freedom of expression and artistic nurturing immediately appealed to Le Corre and he was one of the first to work at Keraluc...he was there at the beginning in 1946 and would soon after have his own, private studio within the pottery. His pieces are characterized by their spontaneity...created freehand, they exhibit light, but sure, artistic strokes.
Le Corre continued to use his studio within Keraluc to create his unique pieces until Lucas' death in 1958. This pichet...pitcher...is an example of his flirtation with the ancient process of engobe decoration.
It measures 6.875 inches, 5.5 inches wide including the handle and 4 inches wide not counting the handle...a generous size 4 as noted on the bottom:
The early Keraluc mark can be seen on the bottom, reading:
"Made in France Keraluc près Quimper".
"Made in France Keraluc près Quimper".
Detail views capture Le Corre's ease with the brush...
The pitcher is in mint condition...
Keraluc...Jos Le Corre pichet...motif: oiseaux branché avec fleurs is $165. US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $195.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Pair HR Quimper Deeply Scalloped Plates
An artist known today only as "9" painted this fantastic pair of Quimper plates. With their deeply-lobed form, the pair has been beautifully decorated with coordinating borders, illustrating the artistic freedom of early Quimper pottery production.
A closer look...ladies first...
She strikes a graceful pose and holds a spray of flowers that goes beyond the more typical bouquet.
She's wearing her special occasion shoes and her coiffe resembles those that were worn in La Feuillée, a small commune about 35 miles from Quimper.
Now for her mate...
Blond, he looks every bit the country gentleman with his long trousers accented with a dashing cummerbund.
He stands between matching floral designs while nonchalantly leaning on his walking stick.
Both plates are 8.5 inches in diameter and both have the HR Quimper signature in the right foreground of the central motif...
...as well as number 9's personal "signature" on the back.
They date from circa 1910 and overall condition is in keeping with their age and era of production...no cracks or chips...some kiln dust on the surface and areas on the edges of the plates where the glaze didn't adhere...
...this is original to when they were made and more typical than not for vintage Quimper of this era. Another look at this unusual pair shows that while some spots where the glaze is missing are visible from the front, they don't distract from these unusual examples of early Quimper.
Pair HR Quimper deeply scalloped plates is $225. US plus $40. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $265.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Pair of Malicorne Shoes...Vases Muraux...Wall Pocket Vases
Not the dinky faïence shoe form that was used to hold salt, these Malicorne faïence shoes measure 4.75 inches long and 1.75 inches wide and were intended to be displayed as a wall decoration...either filled with flowers or not.
A closer look: first the petit breton...
There is a bit of glaze loss to the upper rim of the heel,...difficult to see amidst the stripes...and underneath the bottom "toe" there is a rub to the glaze; this is visible in the first photo, but doesn't show in this one.
The petite bretonne wall pocket is in perfect condition...and she is obviously the more industrious of the two.
He is shown standing nonchalantly with one hand on his waist and the other holding a branch while she is toting a water jug in one hand and a pile of laundry under the opposite arm. Hmmmmm.
Sprays of flowers and an insect or two surround the figures; each wall pocket has holes in the heel of the shoe for a hanging ribbon...allowing them to be displayed either together or separately. ( Or don't mount them on a wall and use them on a table for holding potpourri, etc. )
Each has the PBx mark of the Plat d'Etain pottery in Malicorne; they date from circa 1910.
Pair of Malicorne shoes...Vases Muraux is $55. US plus $20. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total
of $75.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
of $75.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Two HR Quimper Dragon-handled Cups and Saucers
A delightful couple of Quimper faïence cups and saucers...
...a male and a female...with the added interest of dragon-form handles.
Dragons are one of the magical creatures of ancient Celtic lore and are considered to be symbols of power.
Each cup has its own saucer...
...with floral sprays in keeping with those on its cup; each saucer is signed HR Quimper on the back.
The two cups each have their own saucer, creating a matched set...that is, they were painted at the same time, by the same artist.
Highlighting the petit breton cup and saucer set first...detail view of the cup's paysan, dragon handle and HR Quimper mark...
Highlighting the petit breton cup and saucer set first...detail view of the cup's paysan, dragon handle and HR Quimper mark...
...and now for the petite bretonne set...
Circa 1910, both cups and saucers are miraculously in mint condition...no cracks, chips or dings ! The saucers measure 4.875 inches in diameter; the cups are 3.875 inches across including the handle and 2.4375 inches high.
Two HR Quimper dragon-handled cups and saucers are $ 55. US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $ 85. US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Tea for Two...Adorable HR Quimper Trefoil-form Teapot
In the Celtic tradition, the trefoil symbolizes peace, prosperity and abundance. Used as the form for this adorable Quimper teapot, it also has the ability to make one smile. Just 5.375 inches high, 6.875 inches wide spout to handle, and 3.25 inches deep, it's the perfect size for a couple of cups.
The unusual form is decorated with the traditional Quimper peasants...a petite bretonne on one side...
...and her handsome mate on the other...
Even the finial on the lid is in the form of a trefoil...and the colors are so rich and bright, they positively sing !
The HR Quimper pottery mark is written underneath the elegant green handle.
It dates from around 1910; there is a restoration to the lower part of the right hand lobe of the trefoil and some minute flea bites on the spout and sides... nothing that distracts !
The hole in the lid is intentional...it's for letting the steam out !
Tea for Two...adorable HR Quimper trefoil-form teapot is $145.US plus $35. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $180.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
19th Century Desvres Wall Pocket or Spill/Match-holder in the form of a Hotte
A hotte is a basket receptacle that is carried like a backpack and used in France to gather everything from grapes in the wine regions to fire wood in the forests or wild flowers during the spring. This delightful piece is shaped like a miniature hotte and was made in the last quarter of the 19th century at the Fourmaintraux-Courquin factory in the northern France town of Desvres.
The first photograph is focused on the perched bird on the basket portion of the hotte...below you can see a detail view of the floral décor on the upper part:
It measures 5.5 inches high, 1.875 inches wide, and 1.875 inches deep.
Marvelous raised reds and small bubbles are typical of the glaze surface on early faïence; condition is excellent...there are a couple of small glaze rubs...one to the left side of the front edge of the basket and another just above the hole where the ribbon for hanging had been.
Marvelous raised reds and small bubbles are typical of the glaze surface on early faïence; condition is excellent...there are a couple of small glaze rubs...one to the left side of the front edge of the basket and another just above the hole where the ribbon for hanging had been.
It originally could have been used to hold a small bouquet of flowers or perhaps it was intended to hang near the mantel to hold either spills or matches. A spill was a wood splinter or twisted bit of paper used to get a light from the fire...handy for lighting lanterns or gas lights.
Desvres is in the department of Pas-de-Calais and, in general, when this piece was made, a typical residence there would have been more upscale than its Breton counterpart. Having a wealthier clientele, vintage Desvres is famed for its quality...and as you can see from the close-up views, this piece is no exception.
This is the mark on the back; the "2" refers to the mold size and the entwined F and C mark was used from 1875 to 1900.
Spills, matches, flowers...even empty...it's a lot of elegance in a small package!
Spills, matches, flowers...even empty...it's a lot of elegance in a small package!
19th Century Desvres Wall Pocket is $45.US plus $20. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $65.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Jean-Claude Taburet Plate..Mid-Century Celtic...HB Quimper
The work of Jean-Claude Taburet ( 1926-2013 ) typically includes elements of Celtic motifs. Some find this somewhat surprising since he was not born in Brittany, but rather in the neighboring department of Mayenne. But he comes by his Celtic interests naturally as his parents were Breton, he was raised and schooled in Brittany and it was Brittany where he returned after completing his art studies in Paris.
Settling in Quimper in the beginning of the 1950s, he interned a short while at the Keraluc pottery, but by 1956, Taburet was associated with the HB pottery as an independent artist.
In the 1950s and 60s, Jean-Claude and his wife, Marjatta, were considered...as one French newspaper put it...les deux figures importantes du monde de la faïence de Quimper...essentially "important figures in the world of Quimper faïence". Taburet's work is innovative, colorful and sculptural.
Created during that time period, this plate features individually-sculpted Celtic hearts and birds that were then filled with brilliantly-colored glazes...with the result strongly-reminiscent of stained glass.
It measures 9.125 inches square and is in excellent condition. With its metallic silver border and vibrant thick glazes, this is Quimper art pottery...never intended to be reproduced on an industrial manner.
It is signed by the artist...
Jean-Claude Taburet plate...mid-century Celtic...HB Quimper is $85.US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $115.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Early 19th Century Cul Noir Calotte
Dating from 1840 or thereabouts, this calotte or shallow bowl has an à la touche geometric motif in tin-glazed faïence on the front side, while the reverse is covered in a manganese glaze. The original development of this process is attributed to Paul Caussy of Rouen. We can't decide for sure just where this piece originated...it was attributed to Quimper, however the glaze has a pink tinge and the clay is quite red...very reminiscent of Malicorne production. Decorated examples of cul noir, meaning black bottom, are too few and far between for us to be able to say for sure just where it originated. But we can say for sure that it is a great piece of vintage Country French faïence!
It measures 9.5 inches in diameter and is 1.675 inches high.
It is unsigned; there is an incised x on the reverse...this was often used to indicate that once the form as fired, it was to go to the studio to be painted...and beautifully painted it was!
Condition is fantastic considering age and the fact that these wares were designed for everyday use...no restorations or hairlines; just the customary crazing and some chips along the edges as you can see in the photograph.
It measures 9.5 inches in diameter and is 1.675 inches high.
It is unsigned; there is an incised x on the reverse...this was often used to indicate that once the form as fired, it was to go to the studio to be painted...and beautifully painted it was!
Condition is fantastic considering age and the fact that these wares were designed for everyday use...no restorations or hairlines; just the customary crazing and some chips along the edges as you can see in the photograph.
Early 19th Century cul noir calotte is $95.US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $125.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com
Henriot Petite Normande Box
The decoration on this charming Quimper box is wonderful...a very attractive young lady from Normandy in her Sunday-best costume posing demurely with her hands in her pockets as she stands between a couple of pine trees. A straight, deep cobalt blue band and a wavy, golden-orange band accent both the lid and the base...which rests on four little "feet".
Measuring 4.125 inches by 4.125 inches and 2.5 inches high, it is in mint condition with one speck of kiln dust caught in the background glaze near her right shoulder. It was made in the more demanding process known as over-glaze and is a wonderful example of vintage Qumper faïence.
Unsigned, it is Henriot from the era of 1925-1930...unmistakably vintage Henriot...you have our word...as we provide a written guarantee.
Measuring 4.125 inches by 4.125 inches and 2.5 inches high, it is in mint condition with one speck of kiln dust caught in the background glaze near her right shoulder. It was made in the more demanding process known as over-glaze and is a wonderful example of vintage Qumper faïence.
Unsigned, it is Henriot from the era of 1925-1930...unmistakably vintage Henriot...you have our word...as we provide a written guarantee.
Henriot petite normande box is $45.US plus $30. as a contribution towards insured shipping to a US address for a total of $75.US.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com.
Note: For shipping to other destinations or any questions, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com.
And finally...last, but not least...
Our Book...Quimper Pottery...a Guide to Origins, Styles and Values
Our Book...Quimper Pottery...a Guide to Origins, Styles and Values
Our book. It represents over ten years of mind-numbing research. It made my father proud and my sister jealous. This, of course, is a good thing! It was written because I'm ornery...can't be helped, it's a Celtic trait...and what was being said about Quimper pottery just did not jive with our first-hand knowledge of ceramics in general and Quimper pottery in particular. In our book, we reveal the history behind the distinctive Quimper designs and individually profile seven different Quimper pottery factories. Special focus is given to the painters and potters that created this delightful French art pottery and a virtual photo album traces its chronological development from 100 A.D. to today.
Hardbound, 224 pages, and with over 500 color photographs, it is both entertaining and informative, and was designed to truly function as a guide to Quimper pottery's origins, styles, and values. It will greatly enhance your enjoyment and understanding of Quimper pottery.
We are very proud of our book, but then that's to be expected. Here's a sampling of what others have had to say:
"Votre livre plaît beaucoup"
museum curator, Quimper, France
"Marvelous...
congratulations...your book has a great success in France"
antiquaire, Paris, France
"...I find the information very well presented and did not find any errors in the facts or otherwise"
Quimper faïencerie owner, Stonington, Connecticut
"...J'ai acheté votre livre...au Musée de la Faïence...Je l'ai trouvé en tous points remarquable et je vous adresse ainsi qu'a Mark toutes mes felicitations pour ce beau travail."
Quimper faïencerie owner, Quimper, France
"...love it...beautifully written...the technical information is surprisingly readable and I know that isn't easy."
Quimper pottery collector, USA
How to get your very own autographed copy? The price is $50. US plus shipping. Since discounted book rate shipping is available for some destinations, to purchase, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com.
Hardbound, 224 pages, and with over 500 color photographs, it is both entertaining and informative, and was designed to truly function as a guide to Quimper pottery's origins, styles, and values. It will greatly enhance your enjoyment and understanding of Quimper pottery.
We are very proud of our book, but then that's to be expected. Here's a sampling of what others have had to say:
"Votre livre plaît beaucoup"
museum curator, Quimper, France
"Marvelous...
congratulations...your book has a great success in France"
antiquaire, Paris, France
"...I find the information very well presented and did not find any errors in the facts or otherwise"
Quimper faïencerie owner, Stonington, Connecticut
"...J'ai acheté votre livre...au Musée de la Faïence...Je l'ai trouvé en tous points remarquable et je vous adresse ainsi qu'a Mark toutes mes felicitations pour ce beau travail."
Quimper faïencerie owner, Quimper, France
"...love it...beautifully written...the technical information is surprisingly readable and I know that isn't easy."
Quimper pottery collector, USA
How to get your very own autographed copy? The price is $50. US plus shipping. Since discounted book rate shipping is available for some destinations, to purchase, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com.
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That's our Shop in Your Slippers selection for this issue...if have any questions, please contact us at: oldquimper@yahoo.com