How I discovered COMP PAIR..............by Carol H

In December of 1959, Bill and I were married. We were settling into our first home when one day mom asked, "Honey, would you like to have those old dishes?" Astonished that she would be willing to part with them, I said, "Yes! We would love to have them!" We brought them home a week later.

The dishes fit beautifully with our growing collection of Country American furniture and accessories. I displayed what I could in a newly purchased Pine cupboard. Our house was coming together!

We also used our new "old" dishes on a daily basis, breaking an occasional piece, as our family grew. After all-- They were "just" dishes---Meant to be used!
It was sometime in the late 60's when a girlfriend of mine invited me to go with her to an Antiques Show being held at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami. It was about a two hour's drive from West Palm Beach to Miami but, since we both shared a passion for antiques, it would be worth the trip.

When we arrived, we were astonished as to its size! The building was long with two wide aisles and four booth areas stretching almost as far as the eye could see.
As we walked along, I spotted a rather large Maple cupboard filled with something very familiar to me---MY DISHES!! I was astonished! I had never seen them anywhere else before!

The dealer, a tall, distinguished, gentleman in a suit and tie, caught my amazed stare and walked over to me. I blurted out, "You have my "Quimper"! (Kwimper)I have these at home!" His look became somewhat distasteful as he corrected my pronunciation. while slowly looking me up and down, " COMP PAIR, my dear!!"

He then promptly walked away to looking to find a more astute customer!
Feeling left considerably smaller than I did on arrival but still unable to take my eyes off his "compair" I mustered enough courage to slink over and take a closer look. I slowly picked up a plate and turned it over. The price tag read $35! A cup was $25! A saucer $12!

I found myself muttering, "Oh, my God! My vase is a VAZZ!!

I could hardly contain myself on our long ride home to tell my husband, "Honey, We're sitting on a fortune!!"

When I returned home with my wonderful news, we took stock of what we had left. It was almost a full service for twelve. I kept out what I had on display which amounted to a service for four and we carefully packed the remainder. Mom was informed of what we had found and gave her blessing to sell them,

The Quimper dishes were sold several months later at auction, hopefully to someone who would enjoy them as much as we had, and we invested our new found wealth!

The photo's today are from the quimperpix archive (all rights reserved) and show how the sujet ordinaire decor was adapted and used to decorate a variety of different Quimper items.

In the beginning.........by Gay S

The Petit Breton is probably the best known of Quimper designs; its birth is rather a mystery, it has never truly been decided which factory came up with the design, HB or Porquier, but it has been a best seller for a hundred years or more and is much imitated. It was particularly popular with tourists who came to Quimper after the railway arrived in town.

I have to say that I didn’t realise I had quite so many items in this décor; there are more than I thought! These days I am quite fussy about the painting of the figures, especially the faces which sometimes have quite sharp features…..
It seems to me that nearly every form made by the faienceries is available decorated with this motif.

My very first piece of Quimper was an ordinary little tumbler which at the time I thought was perhaps for a toothbrush in the bathroom, my ‘treasure’ was found on the table of a French dealer at the Benson fair (already mentioned in a previous post).

You can tell I was a complete novice – I paid too much and didn’t even notice the hairline, later I realised that the piece is part of a cider set and probably came with a tray, a jug and other tumblers. It is marked HB, although that meant nothing to me at the time. I later added the little ramekin and a small dish with a handle from the same source… but this was over a period of months……
Some how I acquired this boat shaped piece, perhaps in a mixed lot at an auction, it’s a gravy separator.

We have several of these mainly because as you see one spout has an ‘M’ for Maigre which means ‘lean’ and the opposite side has a ‘G’ for Gras which means ‘fat’.

However, as G is my initial and M is my husband's this form holds a special place in our affections!

Acquiring the little teapot with the man on one side and woman on the other, gave me a unique opportunity. I used to occasionally go to an auction held in historic Littlecote House.

The auction house was given the task of selling a huge selection of miniature teapots, how or why this teapot was termed as ‘miniature’ I’m not sure however there it was.
There was a special opportunity to attend a talk about the pots, given by Henry Sandon a very well respected ceramics expert – it was a very informative humorous talk and hugely enjoyable.

On the day of the actual auction my heart sank when I spotted Valerie Howard (a renowned Quimper expert who owned an upscale shop in Kensington Church Street) in the room, luckily for me she didn’t have Quimper on her shopping list on that occasion, she had gathered her tiny teapots into her wicker basket and was on her way back to London before the Quimper teapot came up – sadly that was to be last time I saw her.

The glass plates were a gift from a Club friend.

We had met virtually via eBay, she in Virginia, me in the south of England, and later arranged to meet 'in real life', at an antique fair at Sandown Park race course, when her husband was in London for business.

I remember wearing an exceptionally bright yellow waterproof coat so that she could identify me!

Several years later she returned with her husband, and together with another Q Club member, we attended an exhibition of Art Deco style at the V&A and later went to Newark (the UK’s biggest fair).
This was when I was given the plates however, I’m not sure she would have been so generous if she had first been to the guest house I had chosen – it was freshly decorated and on a farm, it looked fine – but in fact the walls of my friends room were covered with insects and the other room which had two single beds, was tiny and the beds had been made up with new but unwashed bedding – anytime either of us turned over, it crackled!
It was very hot and we dare not open the window because of the insects. Never again!!
Luckily I’ve been forgiven and I’ve visited all these friends several times since….

PS. In the UK it is Burns night which means that those of Scottish descent often celebrate the life of Robert (Rabbi) Burns. This usually means 'enjoying' a supper of Haggis, neeps and tatties, followed by a wee dram - in other words the offal from a sheep minced and mixed and oatmeal and suet plus seasoning, then boiled in the sheeps stomach for three hours and served with swede or yellow turnip and potatoes.

I think I'll skip the main course and go straight to the 'wee dram' a glass of Scottish whisky !