Plate With Chinese Decoration, Marseille Earthenware – Veuve Perrin Factory

Plate with Chinese Decoration, Marseille Faience – Veuve Perrin Manufactory, Circa 1765–1775 (18th Century). A very rare Marseille faience plate with a "Chinese" decoration, made in low-fire purple, attributable to the prestigious Veuve Perrin manufactory, one of the most important and refined Marseille manufacturers of the 18th century. The plate features a lively Chinese scene in its center, depicting figures in a stylized landscape composed of rocks, branches, and exotic architectural elements, rendered with great finesse. The elegant and perfectly balanced composition is characteristic of the Orientalist decorations prevalent in Marseille during the third quarter of the 18th century, influenced by engraved models and the taste for chinoiserie. The rim is decorated with delicate secondary motifs (stylized birds and branches), and the scalloped edge is highlighted with a purple line, demonstrating a perfect mastery of the low-fire technique, a complex and costly process reserved for prestige pieces. The typology of the decoration, the color palette, the quality of the glaze, and the style of the composition allow us to date this piece coherently to around 1765–1775, a period corresponding to the qualitative peak of production at the Veuve Perrin factory. A comparable example is held at the Musée de la Faïence, within the Château Pastré in Marseille, a leading institution for 18th-century Marseilles faience. A photograph of this plate in the museum's collection will be included as the final image for comparison and reference. Plates with Chinese-style decoration in low-fire purple from the Veuve Perrin factory are extremely rare. The technical difficulty of the low-fire technique, the fragility of the colors, and the elitist nature of these pieces explain the very small number of surviving examples. Condition: Very good condition for an 18th-century earthenware piece, with slight wear and signs of age consistent with its age, and no major alteration to the decoration. A collector's item of exceptional quality, almost museum-worthy, intended for discerning collectors of antique earthenware, Marseille faience, or for enthusiasts of rare and historically documented 18th-century works.