The Town, The People and The Pottery
Volume 24 Number 1
June 2022
June 2022
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.
For the past several issues of www.oldquimper.com, we've been presenting a series of articles designed to provide a primer on the history of Quimper...a sort of abridged and updated version of the story behind The Town, The People and The Pottery. We hope to educate collectors...correcting some long-standing and stubborn misinformation...so that fans of Quimper pottery will become more comfortable with the whys and wherefores of Quimper and what makes it so special. It's also a good lesson in remembering that history is not written in stone and that our knowledge of it can indeed change.
Reminder: in many instances, clicking on the photos will lead to a larger image and please take note that the names and dates given may be entirely different from what you hear or read from various sources. This is an updated and corrected history of Quimper pottery, designed to provide a clear illustration of how styles and techniques from Provence, Nevers and Rouen came together to create the enduring fascination that is Quimper pottery.
In case you just joined our on-going discussion of the history of Quimper pottery…we've made our way from the very beginning of "modern-day" Quimper pottery...Pierre Bousquet's founding of a factory in 1708...following his enterprise through the French Revolution, the beginnings of local competition in the marketplace and the inevitable effects of death and taxes. We focused first on the factory that started it all...what came to be popularly known as HB Quimper or La Grande Maison and then turned to those that followed...the Eloury/Porquier pottery, and then after that, another competing pottery...one that came to be known as Henriot and after that, the Fouillen pottery.
Since we're reviewing the history of Quimper's potteries in chronological order based on the date of their opening, the next up was the Keraluc pottery. Founded in 1946, in the last months, we followed Keraluc's early days and its success as a sort of incubator for ceramic artists. After the death of the founder, Victor Lucas, in 1958, the pottery went through several twists and turns...finally putting the key under the mat in 1984. Pottery molds and the rights to the use of the Keraluc mark were later sold to the HB-Henriot factory, but the results essentially mirrored that firm's cataloged production rather than serving as an encouragement for ceramic artistry and innovation.
In case you just joined our on-going discussion of the history of Quimper pottery…we've made our way from the very beginning of "modern-day" Quimper pottery...Pierre Bousquet's founding of a factory in 1708...following his enterprise through the French Revolution, the beginnings of local competition in the marketplace and the inevitable effects of death and taxes. We focused first on the factory that started it all...what came to be popularly known as HB Quimper or La Grande Maison and then turned to those that followed...the Eloury/Porquier pottery, and then after that, another competing pottery...one that came to be known as Henriot and after that, the Fouillen pottery.
Since we're reviewing the history of Quimper's potteries in chronological order based on the date of their opening, the next up was the Keraluc pottery. Founded in 1946, in the last months, we followed Keraluc's early days and its success as a sort of incubator for ceramic artists. After the death of the founder, Victor Lucas, in 1958, the pottery went through several twists and turns...finally putting the key under the mat in 1984. Pottery molds and the rights to the use of the Keraluc mark were later sold to the HB-Henriot factory, but the results essentially mirrored that firm's cataloged production rather than serving as an encouragement for ceramic artistry and innovation.
But the idea of Quimper as an art pottery simmered in the background and the second half of the twentieth century saw the establishment of a number of relatively little-known studio potteries...so many that almost every day we receive a photo in the mail asking..."Is this really Quimper ? "
These smaller studio potters of the 1950s, 60s and 70s are also part of the history of Quimper pottery. Many of the artists had previously contributed in one way or another at one of the principal Quimper factories before deciding to work independently.
In our April issue, we presented some examples from the Atelier du Steir, a pottery studio created by two art professors who had previously participated at Keraluc...Georges Connan and Jos Le Corre...as well as Quimper art pottery signed Piclet (Alain Piclet), Patrik ( Patrick Chassepied) and Bastian (Jean-Sébastien Le Pemp). In last month's The Town, The People and The Pottery article, we wrote about the Quimper pottery of Corentin Le Pape, Louis Nédélec, Claude Bernard, Simone Carrié and Yves-Alain Pleuven.
...examples of their respective marks.
A joined "KAP" for Corentin Le Pape, "L. Nédéléc" for Louis Nédélec and "C. Bernard" for Claude Bernard...
..."Kercy", the mark used by Simone Carrié and the "Youen" signature of Yves-Alain Pleuven.
In this issue, we present four more independent Quimper ceramists. All of them had previously contributed to established Quimper potteries, but sometimes their independent work causes some confusion, so that we still occasionally receive emails with photos of marks that start out with..."My sister-in-law gave me this...is it Quimper ?" or "I'm hoping you can settle a bet...is this is fake ? " or "It says Quimper, but it looks different."
This is one of the marks in question. Yes, it is Quimper...it is the work of a Breton native named Guy Trévoux (1920- 2011).
Guy was born in Lorient and was from an early age interested in music and drawing. His ceramic endeavours were essentially self-taught...although he reportedly received some instruction from Robert Micheau-Vernez. After the end of his involvement in World War II, he returned to Brittany and in 1951, he was hired by the Henriot pottery.
He worked at Henriot from 1951 to 1954...a table service decorated with Bretons in traditional costumes being among his most notable contributions...
...this Guy Trévoux designed plate features a man from Plougastel...
...the factory markings on the reverse of the Plougastel-motif plate.
This Guy Trévoux plate from that series features a man wearing the traditional costume of Pont-l'Abbé...
With their elaborate borders inspired by the specific costume of the central motif, the service was a commercial success with the high-end American market and was sold in prestigious stores such as Saks-Fifth-Avenue and Lord & Taylor...
...an example of the markings used on Trévoux's commissioned pieces.
While at Henriot, he began to experiment with different enamels which led to a series of marine motifs on a black background.
Another commercial success, the marine motif on a black ground was used for plates and service pieces as well as on tiles that were framed as wall plaques or mounted to form table tops.
In 1954, Guy Trévoux left Henriot to open his own studio in Quimper.
In an interesting aside, a book on the artist, published in 2012 and by Pierre Batina and Claude Jégu, reveals that Trévoux purchased some of the blank, undecorated biscuit used at his Quimper studio from the heirs of the family that once operated the Porquier pottery.
Now in his own pottery on Quimper's rue de Douarnenez, Trévoux continued to use a black ground...
...and the marine motifs, but gave the designs a bit of a more modern twist; these pieces are genuine Quimper even though they are not marked "Henriot Quimper"...but rather "Guy Trévoux Quimper".
His studio continued production in Quimper until 1958 when he sold his kiln to Marie-Louise Impe...a former Keraluc artist who was opening her own independent studio. Trévoux moved his studio west of Quimper to the town of Gourlizon. A further move occurred in 1961 when he relocated to the town of Saint-Jean-Trolimon. His later abstract and geometric-themed pieces made in Gourlizon and Saint-Jean-Trolimon were for the most part not as commercially successful as his earlier, Quimper-made, black ground examples decorated with marine life scenes.
The mark used by Guy Trévoux after his move from Quimper...these pieces are not considered to be Quimper as they were not produced within the town of Quimper..
A page from the Batina-Jégu book showing the various marks used on Trévoux-designed ceramics...note that the mark on the bottom left is found on pieces that were not produced in the town of Quimper.
In 1946, Guy married Gisèle Franck (1928-2003) and, as Gisèle Trévoux, she would also work with Henriot from 1951 to 1954.
While Guy was tasked with creating designs for the American market, Gisèle...inspired by the Keraluc pieces of Xavier Krebs...was interested in experimenting with different and modern ways to apply ceramic glazes.
A reader asked what this "Cisele" mark means and if it was a fake. No, it is a genuine piece of Quimper pottery...a piece by Gisèle Trévoux during her time with Henriot.
The plate gives a colorful and modern spin to a rooster motif.
Another rooster motif plate by Gisèle Trévoux from during the period of her association with Henriot.
She joined her husband in leaving Henriot in 1954.
Separating from Guy in 1961, she opened a studio of her own the next year in the Breton town of Pleumeur-Bodou. Below are pièce unique examples from that era...
The mark she used at that time was Efflamine...her pieces from this period were not made in Quimper and thus are not considered to be Quimper. Art pottery, yes...but not Quimper art pottery.
Another married couple...the Taburets...Jean-Claude and Marjatta Taburet...left an indelible mark on the history of Quimper pottery.
In addition to their pottery contributions, Marjatta was a very early historian of Quimper pottery...writing articles and books beginning in the 1970s.
Marjatta was born in Finland in 1931 and met Jean-Claude (1926-2013) while they were both students at the Arts Décoratifs school in Paris. They would work together at HB as independent artists beginning in the 1960s.
Jean-Claude was the first to fall under the spell of Quimper pottery...taking a summer stint in 1951 at the Keraluc pottery. At HB, the Taburets designed motifs for production and created singular works as well. The unique pieces are marked with their name and HB Quimper.
A 14.5 inch pièce unique charger by Marjatta features an iridescent silver ground decorated with fanciful birds and floral sprays that emit from an enameled heart.
The signature on the back of the charger.
A Jean-Claude Taburet plate from when he was associated with the HB pottery and its mark.
A colorful floral-motif plaque by Marjatta and the mark used when she was associated with the HB pottery.
When the ownership of the HB pottery changed in 1983, the Taburets ended their work with HB and opened their own ceramics studio. They called it...
...Atelier du Steir. ( Not to be confused with the earlier Le Corre-Connan studio of the same name). This is the faïence plaque that heralded the entrance of their home/studio.
Here are some examples of their Atelier du Steir production...first some pieces made by Jean-Claude...
Jean-Claude studied sculpture and his pieces certainly are often sculptural as demonstrated by this figure of King Gradlon...
...and this fanciful rooster.
...more of Jean-Claude's Atelier du Steir pieces...
Pieces with this mark...the mark of the Taburet's Atelier du Steir...are genuine Quimper pottery.
Examples of Marjatta's work from the Atelier du Steir...
This gorgeous charger was created to commemorate the celebration of Quimper's faïence heritage held in 1990. Note Marjatta's signature and the mark of the Atelier du Steir on the base of the vase depicted on the charger.
A visit to the reserves of the Musée départemental breton provided an opportunity to see some of Marjatta Taburet's faïence dolls.
The mark on a plate painted by Marjatta in 2007.
Jean-Claude passed away in 2013 and Marjatta has moved from what had been the Atelier du Steir. This figure of a saint still adorns the building to remind passersby of its history of being a place of Quimper pottery.
This is a photograph of the intersection of rue des Boucheries and rue Kéréon...one of the most iconic views of old town Quimper...
...and one of the highlights of the scene is this Quimper saint by Marjatta Taburet...a replacement for an original that was destroyed during the French Revolution.
So after these past few issues addressing Quimper's independent studios, you should be able to turn over a piece that caught your eye and not be dismayed that the mark is not that of one of the major Quimper pottery factories...in many cases, it's still a genuine example of Quimper art pottery...and, after all, it did catch your eye !
Before I close, a reminder that the Musée de la Faïence is now open for the season with a revamped display of pieces from the permanent exhibition and a spectacular opportunity to enjoy the artistry that was the result of the collaboration between the Porquier pottery and the artist Alfred Beau. The gala opening of the special exhibition was a joy...here's just a peek of what awaits you...
The exhibition centers around 10 albums of watercolors depicting Alfred Beau designs that were intended to be recreated on faïence by the Porquier artists. Hundreds and hundreds of intricate motifs...
...that produced gorgeous results.
The exhibition is packed with one breathtaking example after another...
...with the added bonus of seeing the original design !
It's all there...yellow-rimmed botanicals, animated scènes bretonnes and fanciful legends...and will be there for you to enjoy until October 1, 2022 ! Open every day except Sunday...10am to 6pm without an interruption.
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. 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 !