More Camaïeu Blue Faïence................by Sarah A

It's time once again for Blue Monday with Smiling Sally.

Several collections of French faïence in camaïeu blue have been shown here on QCI. You can find a list of these articles at the end of this post. Today I'd like to share photos of a collection of camaïeu blue faïence that I visited several years ago. These pieces belong to my friend, Charna, who graciously agreed to let me share them with you.
I don't know specifics about each of Charna's pieces, but I do know they are French, and they are indeed lovely. Charna has a wonderful wall of built-in cases, and these delights fill the shelves. Just imagine waking to these serene pieces each morning.

As I said, I don't know the specifics about each of these so I will just show the photos. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some more pieces in this charming art style. It's difficult to improve on the combination of blue and white. Charna's collection offers a look at some unusual forms and some exquisite painting.

To see more French faïence in camïeue blue click on the following links:

Some Favorites in Camïeue Blue

Having the Blues is a Good Thing

Blue and White Quimper

Visit Smiling Sally for a list of others participating in Blue Monday.

Some Favorites in Camaïeu Blue By Sarah

Hanging French Shelf with Camïeu Blue Quimper Pottery

With the exception of a small blue willow tea set, we don't have the typical collection one thinks of for blue and white pottery. Ours is not Chinese, nor is it Delft or English. What we do have is a small group of French faïence done in the camaïeu blue technique.

Unmarked Quimper Secouette or Snuff Bottle

It's once again time for Laurie's A Few Of My Favorite Things and also Blue Monday with Smiling Sally. So it's a perfect opportunity to share a group of French faïence done in the camaïeu technique. Camaïeu is a technique where by an object is decorated in varying shades of one color. In this case blue. Pieces are often outlined or shaded in a darker shade and then accented with lighter shades of the same color family.

HB Quimper Doughnut Shaped Teapot with Missing Lid

Though beautiful examples of entire scenes painted in camïeue blue were produced, we unfortunately don't have any in our personal collection. Our pieces painted in this technique are in the fleur de lys decor, of which this doughnut shaped tea pot is a classic example. You can see the outline done in the darkest color and then the use of two lighter shades of blue. All this done on a white glaze background.

HB Quimper Porte Bouquet on Rectangular Base

HR Quimper Tri-Lobed Footed Saucer with Three Small Feet on the Base

Most of our pieces in this decor were produced by HB Quimper. The above saucer is of HR Quimper production. One can see that the decor varies little between these two faïenceries.

HB Quimper Secouette (Front on Left, Reverse on on Right)

This little secouette or snuff bottle was quite a find. Often these small pieces were not marked, but this one bears the mark of HB Quimper on the reverse seen with the ermine tail. It also retains the original cork with wire pull. It is rare to find a secouette with its original cork in place. I've not attempted to remove the cork because of fear it would pull apart, but I can shake the secouette and hear that it indeed has something inside. I suspect it is extremely aged snuff.

Pair of HB Quimper Shell Shaped Dishes

with HB Quimper Heart Shaped Secouette

In Brittany one is never far from the sea, so these little scalloped shell dishes are the perfect shape to reflect a life tied to the sea. The pair shown on either side of the secouette are very delicate in feel, and they are very small in size as you can see compared to the small secouette. They are less than 3.5" x 4.5".

Reverse of HB Quimper Shell Shaped Dish with Mark

The reverse side is also interesting. These little dishes sit on a rimmed base, and the mark includes a G, which I suspect is an artist signature.

HB Porte Carte

This little porte carte was made to hold a small card, perhaps to mark one's place at the table or to hold a small menu card. I have to confess that I've a passion for both porte carte forms and those of secouettes. I like the textural feel of holding these little treasures of the past in the palm of my hand. I'm particularly pleased we have this one because it is done in camïeue blue, and it is the only example in our group of camïeue blue that features a figure.

Reverse of HB Porte Carte

The reverse does feature the fleur de lys, but the feel is very different from the typical fleur de lys pattern shown in the above photos.

Unmarked Perfume Faïence Flask

This last piece doesn't qualify as a camïeue piece, but I have it displayed with the group because it seems to fit in. This is a perfume bottle, much the size and style of a secouette.

Reverse Side of Perfume Flask

You can see from the wording on this side that this was made for Guy Parfumeur. Coeur de Bretagne indicates the heart of Brittany, but perhaps this is simply a reference to this piece being a souvenir of Brittany. I've had no success tracking down any information on this parfumeur. The piece is unmarked other than the references on this side. If anyone has any ideas or knowledge of this piece, please share.

To see more faience produced with this technique click here to read Cerélle's post that featured pieces in her collection, and click here to see Melissa's beautiful collection of

camïeue blue

.

Click here to join others at Laurie's A Few Of My Favorite Things.

Visitors for Blue Monday can click here to go to Smiling Sally's for a list of other Blue Monday posts.

Blue Monday Rooster Tale by Sarah

Welcome to Blue Mondays hosted by Smiling Sally. It's been a busy holiday, and I apologize for the late post, but wanted to share an interesting anecdote about a fascinating form from the production of the HB-Henriot Quimper faiencerie.

HB-Henriot Quimper Blue Rooster

A number of years ago, Joan Datesman, of Merrywalk Antiques, was at the Quimper Faience store in Alexandria, Virginia autographing copies of her book, COLLECTING QUIMPER. The Janssens, former owners of HB-HenRiot, were also present at the time. In conversation with the Janssens, Joan mentioned that she much admired the blue rooster and recalled that she had first encountered this charming figure at the Quimper airport where she had seen it displayed in a captivating exhibit organized by the Quimper faiencerie. Mr. Janssens, pleased to hear such a compliment, eagerly related the story of the origin for the design of the blue rooster. It seems he was in Paris, when he wandered into an antique shop and noticed a carved wooden rooster atop the end of a long pole. Its purpose had something to do with cooking, and the pole being planted over the fire, such that when the fire was hot enough the rooster would twirl. The piece was several hundred years old, and very, very expensive. Mr. Janssens asked permission to photograph the piece. Permission was granted, several photos were taken, and Mr. Janssens returned with them to the faiencerie where he turned them over to a young girl who was a very fine model maker. The result was this fascinating and unusual folk art rooster. Mr. Janssens considers the blue rooster one of the most successful forms created during his tenure at the faiencerie.

Large HB-HenRiot Qimper Folk Art Rooster;

Small HB-HenRiot Qimper Rooster;

Montgolfier Rooster

To see more blue roosters in Quimper faience click here to read a previous Blue Monday post on Hyacinths For The Soul.

Then click here to head on over to Smiling Sally's for more Blue Monday posts.

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment below. I look forward to seeing you again real soon.