The Town, The People and The Pottery
Volume 24 Number 8
January 2023
January 2023
The western-most part of the continent of Europe, this is a 1683 map of Brittany. Quimper is located to the left of center, above a small island and noted with its name at that time...Quimper-Corentin.
Quimper...pronounced "kem-pair"...is a town in northwestern France. It is also a people and a pottery.
To the people of Quimper, the town name is Kemper, which in their language describes a confluence of rivers. ("Quimper" is a somewhat nonsensical rendition as not all the Breton dialects have a "Q" and a true French pronunciation would be different from the actual "kem-pair"). At any rate, "confluence of rivers" is an apt description, as the town is situated at the juncture of two rivers, the Odet and the Steir. Two other rivers, the Jet and the Frout, are close-by, but travel underground through the town limits. Historically, this close proximity to rivers meant an ideal place to establish a pottery factory and thus, Quimper has been a pottery town for centuries. Its "recent" history of continuous pottery production begins in 1708. (Previous accounts put the date as 1690, but history is not written in stone and recent findings have provided further information).
By the last decade of the nineteenth century, three pottery factories were operating in the town of Quimper. One was the Porquier factory, another was known as the Grande Maison or De la Hubaudière factory, and the third, owned by Jules Henriot, was called the Faïencerie d’Art Breton. Tin-glazed earthenware, known in France as faïence, was a popular product, especially pieces that were hand-painted with scenes depicting life in the region of Brittany.
The making of faïence is an art. Especially in the early days, prior to the introduction of more modern methods, when both the technical and artistic skills necessary to make a piece of faïence were quite daunting. Extremely difficult to master its making, I've been known to liken faïence to being the "puff pastry" of pottery production.
The use of an opaque tin glaze is one factor that distinguishes faïence from other types of pottery...pieces made by this process were known as faïence in France, Spain, Germany, and Austria; in the Netherlands, they were called Delft; in England, the term was Delftware; and in Renaissance Italy, such pieces were called maiolica...not to be confused with majolica, that's actually a trade name of the Minton pottery in England for a Victorian-era product made using substantially different glazes and production methods.
The tradition of Quimper faïence production continues today. But much like the comparison of a Model T with a current Ford Motor Company product, today’s Quimper is very different from vintage Quimper. In many fields of collecting there is a line of demarcation; for Quimper pottery that line is World War II. Modern techniques and machinery introduced in the days after World War II resulted in the creation of a different product. Vintage Quimper refers to pieces made prior to that time period; later production falls into the collectible genre.
Here at www.oldquimper.com, we specialize in vintage Quimper and invite you to come along as we further explore old Quimper...The Town, The People, and The Pottery. If you've just joined us, since 1999 we've been using these pages to extol upon the beauty and intrigue of vintage Quimper pottery and, at the same time, do some "traveling"...and, indeed, over the years, we have visited some of the most picturesque towns of Brittany...each one delightfully different.
Each month, this depiction of King Gradlon by Quimper-born artist Pierre Toulhoat (1923-2014) will herald in a new article about Quimper...The Town, The People and The Pottery.
In last month's article, we discussed how Christmas is observed in Brittany with examples of how the holiday traditions and symbols made their way onto Quimper pottery including a vintage faïence cider cup with a mistletoe motif and antique plates painted with holly.
In the US, generally by the end of the first week of January, Christmas is in the rear view mirror and the house suddenly seems bare without the tree and accompanying decorations. In this issue, we'll take a look at something that some may think of being used solely as part of Christmas decorations, but in Brittany is proudly displayed all-year long.
Boules de pardon...pardon balls.
These may look like typical glass Christmas tree ornaments, but in Brittany they are part of the traditions surrounding a pardon, and thus, they have unique and special significance. But first, what exactly is a Breton pardon ?
A Breton pardon is a celebration honoring a particular saint and its associated chapel, church or cathedral. Some are small, strictly local affairs and others attract a substantial pilgrimage of visitors from other parishes both far and near. The image above was taken at a recent Grande Tromenie...a July event that is held every six years in the village of Locronan.
Pardon celebrations typically feature a special mass and a procession of members of the congregation holding aloft banners, statues and relics specific to the hosting church or revered saint. The local group is often joined by visitors from other parishes who, in turn, proudly hold their own banners. For Locronan's Grande Tromenie, the route follows a seven mile plus route through the neighboring countryside...a route that is said to have been regularly traveled by Saint Ronan back in the 6th Century. During the five years between the Grande Tromenies, the Petite Tromenie processions follow a trail that is a bit shorter at about three and a half miles.
Pardons were hugely important and played a major part in traditional Breton life, for once the original premise and activities that focused on religious observations were fulfilled, the participants would gather to greet, meet and make merry...
...as depicted on a scene painted on an Henriot vase. Like the outdoor markets and special fairs, the celebratory parts of a pardon served as excellent opportunities to meet a potential mate.
An HR Quimper platter with a scene reminiscent of the last day of a traditional Breton pardon.
That's where the pardon balls come in. Traveling merchants set up stands at the pardons, offering everything from food and drink to relatively exotic fare...things not produced in Brittany such as ribbons from the silk factories in Lyon and fancy fabrics from Paris. During the period of 1880 to 1914, you could be assured that glass ornaments were available for purchase...typically from the eastern France region of Moselle. Valued for their gaiety, fragility and rarity, they came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
As a symbol of his honorable intentions, it was customary for an anxious suitor to spend as much as he possibly could and present his intended with the best pardon ball he could afford. She, in turn, would go home with it and the show it to her parents. The size and color of the gift were examined as a direct reflection of the wealth and suitability of the giver and the girl's parents would have a say in determining if the offer was to be accepted...or not.
Porquier-Beau scenes celebrate and document important aspects of traditional Breton life...this gorgeous platter chronicles " the return from a pardon" in the environs of Quimper.
Should the presented pardon ball deem to be acceptable, the couple were officially engaged and the pardon ball would be hung from a beam in the family's living quarters...generally near the fireplace where it would reflect the light...an important factor in the days before the installation of electricity was the norm. Highly-prized as a symbol of romance, a pardon ball was typically handed down from grandmother to mother, from mother to daughter, and so on down through the family.
Being such an important part of life, pardons are well represented in the motifs and forms used by the Quimper potteries. Some examples:
From the Keraluc pottery, Yvain's piece dated 1956 depicts a couple of Bretons proudly participating in a procession carrying a figure of the Virgin and the infant Jesus...to be chosen to serve as a porter for a pardon procession is a very high honor indeed.
Émile-Just Bachelet depicts the same duty in this impressive figure produced at the Henriot pottery in the 1930s.
Bits of clay in the hands of Scottish artist Alexander Goudie (1933-2004) became a multi-faceted and emotional depiction of the pardon at Saint-Jean de Tronoën. Here, a detail view showing four Bretons holding a venerated statue aloft.
JIm-Eugène Sévéllec created a tour-de-force series of figures representing a pardon procession...this figure depicts a group of young bretonnes serving as porters.
Regular readers may recall that Quimper's pardon is held in December with a procession from Saint Mathieu's Church to the Cathedral Saint-Corentin that passes directly in front of our windows overlooking rue Kéréon.
This year was no different, with porters in traditional dress carrying examples of the Cathedral's most precious objects...
...including this reliquary. Church interiors are typically dark and a pardon procession allows for a closer and brighter look at the treasures that reside within.
Another important feature of any pardon procession is the banners. Textile creations commissioned by a parish to adorn the walls, they are ceremoniously brought out for one and all to admire during a procession.
Artists who contributed to the Quimper potteries were often multi-talented as is the case with Robert Micheau-Vernez and Pierre Toulhoat who both created banner designs used in various fêtes and processions.
A banner designed by Pierre Toulhoat...Perrez Lokorn is Breton for Locronan parish.
Another pardon banner designed by Toulhoat, this one depicts Saint Corentin...
...with his legendary fish among the minutely-crafted needlework.
Bretonnes dressed in the traditional costume of Plougastel walk with banners in this Henriot plate designed by Marguerite Bourcart (1901-1980). Her designs are signed with her nickname...Madite. She collaborated with Henriot beginning in 1920 until her marriage in 1928.
More recently, Patrice Cuddenec painted this plate for the FAB faïencerie.
The array of banners add to the pageantry of a Breton pardon and help make it such a colorful experience.
René-Yves Creston caught the struggle between wind and banner in the motif of this plate...Henriot produced in the 1920s...
...and these figures...shown as they were on display in the Musée de la Faïence in 2013 as part of a special exhibition dedicated to Creston and his wife, Suzanne Candré-Creston. The larger piece on the top shelf is in grès...the French term for stoneware...and the smaller pieces are in faience...one with different-colored glazes and the other in all white.
Here's a better view of the multi-colored version without the reflection from the display case. The larger version was also produced in faïence...both in colored glazes and in all white.
Another of Sévellec's pardon figures.
In this vintage postcard, the Henriot pottery set out a sample number of the Sévéllec procession figures as a promotional image.
The Musée de la Faïence's display of its collection of Sévellec pardon figures successfully captures the whimsey he injected into a scene that is steeped in history and tradition.
Traditions that remain just as important today.
So much to see that is symbolic of Brittany...from priests sporting liturgical garments embroidered in colorful Celtic motifs...
...to the colorful costumes of the celebrants.
Whether depicted in Quimper pottery or experiencing one in person, a Breton pardon is truly a joy to behold !
We end this issue with a special guest to toast the New Year...
We hope that 2023 brings you good health and lots of fun and adventures...Happy New Year !
That's it for this issue...our exploration of Brittany...its towns, its people and its pottery...will continue in our next webisode. We publish a new issue on or about the first of each month...with a double issue for July/August. If you would like an email reminder when a new issue comes out, please contact us at oldquimper@yahoo.com. ...and be sure to check your computer settings...because sometimes unless you change them, we end up in your SPAM folder !