“broomstick" - Marc’harit Houël - Manufacture Hb Quimper - Bretagne

Manufacture HB Quimper
Faïencepolychrome, circa 1930.

This plate refers to the Bazh-valan, literally “broomstick,” an ancient Breton custom related to marriages. The matchmaker, sometimes called the bazh-valan, goes to a farm with a branch of broom, symbolizing his mission. His role is to praise the qualities of a local young man to a young woman and her family in order to arrange a union. This messenger of the heart often uses wit and diplomacy to present the suitor in the best possible light. If the proposal is accepted, the branch of broom is accepted; if not, it remains on the doorstep. This picturesque tradition, imbued with humor and finesse, bears witness to an ancient art of romantic mediation in rural Brittany.

This plate will be on display at the Quimper Antiques Fair from November 7 to 9, 2025.

Marc'harit Houël (1907 - 2002):
Marc'harit Houël entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Rennes in 1925, where she studied under Jules Roncin and Jeanne Malivel, a major figure in the Seiz Breur movement, who passed on to her a taste for engraving and Breton artistic renewal. Through her parents, who owned a department store in Rennes that was a customer of the HB pottery in Quimper, she came into contact with the factory and began working there. She played an active role in the revival of 20th-century Breton decorative arts, combining tradition and modernity. Her creations are distinguished by their vivid colors.