Gien Faïence Factory
A Fine Renaissance Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Faïence Porcelain Coupe
£4,500
A Fine Renaissance Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Faïence Porcelain Coupe In The Manner of Gien Faïence factory. This impressive porcelain coupe is of...
Dimensions
Height: 43 cm (17 in)Diameter: 35.5 cm (14 in)
Description
A Fine Renaissance Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Faïence Porcelain Coupe In The Manner of Gien Faïence factory.
This impressive porcelain coupe is of inverted bell shape with Renaissance style decoration of strapwork, mythical beasts, trophies and armorial panels, on a black ground with crimson panels. The flaring rim of the vase is banded in gilt-bronze and the base is mounted with a gilt-bronze guilloche running pattern border, terminating in an acorn knop. The vase is raised on three scrolling anthemion supports put down on a stepped triangular concave base with reeded and enamel decoration.
The superb Renaissance style decoration of the vase is in the manner of the Gien Faïence factory.
Date
Circa 1900
Origin
French
Medium
Faïence
The Gien factory was founded in 1821, by Thomas Edme Hulm, (also know as Hall), in the former monastery of Minim, to produce faience and soft-paste white porcelain in the English manner.
The Gien factory enjoyed tremendous success throughout the nineteenth century, particularly for its innovative recreation of Renaissance designs. The Gien designs incorporate typical Renaissance elements such as mythological beings, putti, garlands, masques, trophies and coats of arms on white, black, brown and later blue backgrounds. The designs were often inspired by Italian Renaissance pottery from Faenza, and Urbino, fine examples of which where exhibited by this time in collections in Lyon, La Rochelle and Paris.
The pinnacle of production at Gien was between 1855 and 1900. They exhibited with great success at many of the important international exhibitions of the period, attaining prizes at the 1855, 1867, 1878, 1889 and 1900 exhibitions.
The Gien factory remains today as one of the most distinguished producers of high quality ceramics in France.