Blue (and White) Quimper

It's Blue Monday over at Smiling Sally's and Mosaic Monday at Mary's Little Red House which gives me the opportunity to share with you my love of blue and white faience.

Please join both of our gracious Hostesses for more Monday magic.

My favorite color is yellow.... and what goes best with yellow? Blue (and white)! Especially the blue and white Quimper faience in my bright yellow dining room. Several of these pieces have a fleur de lis pattern on them, including a spectacular coffee set I found in a small shop in Quimper.

I have always been enamored of the fleur de lis pattern in just about anything: fabrics, wall coverings, objets, and pottery. The pattern has always seemed so cheerful and joyous.

The English translation of "fleur-de-lis" (sometimes spelled "fleur-de-lys") is "flower of the lily." This symbol, depicting a stylized lily or iris, has many meanings. Traditionally, it has been used to represent French royalty, and in that sense it is said to signify perfection, light, and life. In the twelfth century, either King Louis VI or King Louis VII (sources disagree) became the first French monarch to use the fleur-de-lis on his shield. English kings later used the symbol on their coats of arms to emphasize their claims to the throne of France, though decorative ornaments that resemble the fleur-de-lis have appeared in artwork from the earliest human civilizations.



I was so excited to find this beautiful blue and white fleur de lis coffee set. This coffee set, marked Locronan xo, includes a pot, large sugar and small creamer, and two cups and saucers, all on a matching tray. All the pieces are also marked with a stylized ermine tail, one of the earliest markings denoting Quimper.
The set may have been made as a souvenir of Locronan, a small town not far from Quimper, Brittany.







All the handles have been painted with stripes, and the sugar pot is rather large - maybe owing to the great amount of sugar added to expresso?

I have a rather eclectic collection of other blue and white Quimper pieces that give me great joy to look at in the bright yellow dining room.

This shallow fan-shaped vase, called an eventail, is painted the same on front and back. It is marked HB Quimper with 4 dots in a diamond shape denoting the painter. It is great for short, spreading flower arrangements!







This pitcher, signed HB Quimper at the base of the handle, is much more casual in style. It has a wide stance and a stylized fleur de lis squarely in the front below the spout, as well as geometric patterns on the sides. The handle and spout are lined with a stipple pattern. The bottom is not finished and the red clay base is evident, indicating an early piece from the 1800's.









Many Quimper pieces are painted in multi-color patterns as well as blue on white. This large flat bowl painted with flowers is a good example.



I found a very unsual plate on eBay many years ago that I found out was part of a service for a restaurant. It is marked Henriot Quimper with double lines below the signature, identifying the painter.



The fun geometric pattern, with a multi-ringed and stippled border, is a good foil to many of my more eleaborate pieces and fits in well with my collection of geometric plates and pitchers.

Happy Blue Monday!

Melissa B