Old Bordeaux Ceramics

Superb and rare glazed ceramic plate, slightly raised decoration circa 1850-1860 diameter 29cm height 5cm signed on the back Perfect condition After the first factory of Lahens et Rateau, founded in Fouqueyrolles in 1831 and closed 4 years later, the real development of fine Bordeaux earthenware dates from the purchase of the factory by an Irishman, David Johnston, assisted by Boudon de Saint-Amans, former collaborator of Lahens et Rateau and admirer of English ceramics. David Johnston opened a factory in Bacalan which would have up to 700 workers and brought fuel and raw materials from England, taking advantage of the regular transit of ships loaded with wine bound for England. Production was then industrial, with printed decorations in varied patterns and colors and with wavy or animated borders. Jules Vieillard succeeded David Johnston in 1845. His action was decisive in the industrial success of the Bacalan factory but also in the artistic quality of a production that was unanimously celebrated at the time of the Universal Exhibitions, hence the name commonly given to these "Vieillard" earthenwares. Jules Vieillard sought independence in his supplies and found raw materials for his productions in the southwest, in Périgueux, Bayonne or Ribérac. In his last period, he developed an exceptional orientalism whose richness has not yet been fully measured. His "Chinese plates" are highly sought after. The commercial success of Vieillard earthenware was considerable, comparable to the renowned productions of Creil-Montereau earthenware. They benefited from a Parisian distribution network but also from the export market driven by ships loaded with fine wines leaving the port of Bordeaux. In 1865, his sons took over and produced a wide variety of designs, particularly rich in flowers and birds. The walls of the main room of the restaurant La Belle Époque, on Quai Louis XVIII in Bordeaux, were decorated with these earthenware pieces. The factory closed its doors in 1895.