Les Fauves, Pair Of Limoges Grand Feu Porcelain Plates, 19th Century Lion And Lioness, Museum Pieces

Museum quality pieces! Pair of large Limoges porcelain dishes by the William Guérin factory dating from the end of the 19th century. Exceptional grand feu decoration with wild animals. I have never seen such a decoration on Limoges porcelain and even less in grand feu. Lion and lioness looking at each other in pendant. These are most certainly commissioned pieces and the fine gold signatures WG allow us to attribute both the whites and the decoration to William Guérin. The portraits of the wild animals are represented in a shade of blueish gray which just underlines their power and strength but in a great softness at the same time. The grand feu technique is very delicate and difficult to obtain because the color is applied directly to the raw enamel, before being fixed at the same time as the latter in the grand feu firing. The color becomes embedded in the enamel during firing. This is a technique of a very great specialist and artist to be able to make such a decoration with such precision. These dishes are in perfect condition. Period late 19th century around 1889-1890. Delivery by carrier, 100 euros in France, 200 euros in the EU and 500 euros rest of the world. William Guérin decorated the Halles de Limoges, the winter garden of the Cercle de l'Union and created the famous fountain of the town hall of Limoges. He won the gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 for his monumental cup in high-fire porcelain exhibited at the entrance to it.