Large 18th Century Earthenware Dish, Decorated With Bérain Blanc Bleu Ardus 43 Cm

Large oval dish in Ardus earthenware, Bérain-style decoration, 18th century

Large contoured oval dish in tin-glazed earthenware with large fire blue cameo decoration. The curved border, with jagged edges and cut-out contours, is highlighted by a blue fillet and a fine frieze of arabesques. The basin receives a very elegant central decoration composed of scrolls, volutes, hanging garlands, pendants, architectural elements and fantasy motifs, organized around a female bust placed on a pedestal.

The decoration belongs to the repertoire known as "à la Bérain", inspired by the compositions of Jean Bérain, Louis XIV's ornamentalist. This vocabulary combines arabesques, consoles, busts, cartouches, garlands, light architecture and suspended ornaments. It was widely adopted by 18th-century French earthenware manufacturers, notably Moustiers, Lyon, Montpellier, Toulouse and workshops in the southwest of France. Here, the more open workmanship, lighter decorative design, slightly grayish white glaze and reverse construction point to Ardus, a factory active near Montauban in the 18th century.

The Ardus factory, located on the banks of the Aveyron near Montauban, was founded in 1737 by François Duval. It received the title of Manufacture Royale in 1749, testifying to its regional importance in 18th-century earthenware production. Its productions are in the great tradition of Southwestern earthenware, with service forms, tableware and blue cameo decorations inspired by the great French centers.

The decor is constructed with great balance. The central bust provides a theatrical anchor to the composition, like a figure posed at the center of a light architectural setting. Scrolls, pendants and garlands create a highly decorative breath of air, less dense than some Bérain de Moustiers, with a more provincial elegance, free and seductive. The blue retains a beautiful freshness on a white background slightly softened by time.

Condition: good overall decorative condition. A few chips, small enamel chips and missing edges, particularly visible on the wing. Traces of use, small dots and light marks in the enamel. Old reverse with traces of firing and wear. No fel no restoration. See photos.

Dimensions: 43 x 32 cm. Height : 4 cm.