Earthenware Plate Bordeaux Old Man Model Large Birds Millet Pheasant 19th

Fine earthenware plate from the Bordeaux Vieillard* factory, model by Eugène Millet known as "Aux Grands Oiseaux", Japanese decoration representing a pheasant resting on a flowering tree branch, signed below, vintage late 19th century. This plate is in good general condition. It is signed below. Note: some small chips and wear on the burgundy border, tiny traces of yellowing, scratches and slight enamelling defects on the background, wear over time, see photos. _________________________________________ *Bordeaux Vieillard: Adopting the English process for its earthenware, Bordeaux ceramics took on new development in the 19th century. As production becomes industrial, it opens up to a wider audience without loss of quality. David Johnston, having founded an earthenware factory on the Quai du Bataclan, joined forces in 1840 with Jules Vieillard (1813-1868), a Parisian merchant. Succeeding him six years later, the latter skillfully uses techniques specific to fine earthenware. Multiplying the decorations, Vieillard created elegant ceramics meeting the taste of a bourgeois clientele. When he died in 1868, his two sons, Albert and Charles Vieillard, took over the factory, which then employed 1,300 workers. At the beginning of the Third Republic, Bordeaux earthenware ranked third in importance among ceramic establishments, behind the factories of Sarreguemines and Creil-Montereau. In addition to a good Parisian distribution network, it also benefits from the export market, driven by ships loaded with great wines leaving the port of Bordeaux. Vieillard earthenware, crowned several times at universal exhibitions, is distinguished by the delicacy of its execution as well as by the variety of its decorative motifs. Coming from a regional estate, our service, priced at around €20,000, illustrates Japanese fashion. Eugène Millet, its creator, refers to Hokusaï's prints. Unlike the Bracquemond service made for Creil-Montereau, here he draws birds flying away all over the surface of the earthenware. Whetting the appetite of museums, enthusiasts and international traders, he set off to brighten up the home of a Parisian buyer. (See Gazette Drouot website, A. Coureau SVV). Diameter: 25 cm Reference: 500 191 All photos are on: www.antiques-delaval.com