Butter Pat, Bread Mark, Butter Mark - Carved Butter Plate - Folk Art

Late XIXᵉ century

Haute-Loire - Pays du Velay, Yssingeaux area

France

A carved wooden butter plate, pertaining to rural folk art productions of the late XIXᵉ century.

The object adopts an elongated rectangular shape extended by a solid handle, pierced at the end to enable its suspension. This typology is characteristic of the plates used in butter processing, intended to imprint a recessed decoration on the lump, while also participating in its shaping.

The sculpted surface features a particularly structured composition. In the center is a large eight-petal rosette set in a deeply carved circle. This motif, recurrent in popular ornamental vocabulary, evokes solar or vegetal forms, translating an idea of cycle, continuity and balance.

The upper register is occupied by two secondary rosettes, framed by wolf's-tooth friezes and repeated triangular motifs. These elements, executed with regularity, organize the space and create a rhythmic visual tension, typical of Massif Central productions.

The field is densely animated by a sowing of triangles and incised geometric motifs - chevrons, frames, punctuation - which structure the surface without ever breaking the overall balance. In the lower section, a smaller rose window responds to the central one, inscribed in an angular frame forming a stylized architecture.

The decor as a whole bears witness to masterful execution, revealing an experienced hand and genuine compositional intent. Far from a simple tool, the object here becomes a medium of expression, where the utilitarian gesture doubles as an assertive ornamental search.

Some butter plates feature perforations to allow whey to drain away during application. The absence of holes on this example, combined with the quality of the decoration, underscores a particularly well-kept object.

The reverse side, left unfinished, retains the traces of use associated with working the material. The handle shows consistent gripping wear and retains its original piercing.

This type of object could also be given as a gift, particularly in a domestic or family context, marking special attention paid to an everyday tool transformed into an object of identity.

The carving is deep and even, the patina old, warm and even, perfectly in keeping with the use and age of the piece.

Condition : Very good overall condition. Consistent wear from use, homogeneous old patina, perfectly legible decoration, no structural alterations.

Dimensions:

Length: 37 cm

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