Quimper factory news.

AU REVOIR HB-HENRIOT, BONJOUR HENRIOT-QUIMPER

HB-Henriot has been sold to Jean-Pierre LeGoff, who has major plans for its restructuring and development.
In the last few weeks, the Quimper newspapers have been full of news about the future of Quimper pottery and its manufacture. The business court, which handled the receivership and sale of the business, announced the reduction of personnel from 50 to 26 people.
M. LeGoff announced immediately that his strategy included promoting the high quality of the product, continuing the tradition of hand-painted, and working with designers and artists.

At the end of July, M. LeGoff, citing a wish to modernize the image of the pottery and to associate it with the name of the city, announced the new name and mark of the Quimper pottery manufacture: Henriot-Quimper.

And this week, it was "an extraordinary day", in the words of Jean-Yves Verlingue, former CEO of the HB and then HB-Henriot manufacture, and later partner in the Faïencerie d'Art Breton (founded in 1994). The partner stockholders of the FAB gave their full support to M. LeGoff as he announced the purchase of the FAB, thereby consolidating the manufacture and the future of Quimper pottery under one management structure.

A very exciting moment in the history of Quimper pottery - we look forward to seeing what's new from Henriot-Quimper!!

 

Comme nous vous avons dit il y a un mois, HB-Henriot a été vendu à Jean-Pierre Le Goff, qui a un programme important pour sa restructuration et son développement. Depuis, les journaux quimperois ont beaucoup parlé de l'avenir de la faïence de Quimper et sa manufacture. Le Tribunal de Commerce, qui a géré le redressement judiciaire et la vente de l'entreprise, a annoncé la réduction du personnel de 50 à 26. M. LeGoff a indiqué tout de suite que sa stratégie comprend la promotion de la qualité du produit, l'importance de continuer la tradition "peint main", et un travail avec des designers.

A la fin de juillet, M. LeGoff, indiquant un souhait de moderniser l'image de la faïence et de l'associer avec le nom de la ville, a annoncé le nouveau nom et la marque de la manufacture de faïence de Quimper : Henriot-Quimper.

Et cette semaine, c'était "une journée extraordinaire", selon Jean-Yves Verlingue, ancien PDG d'HB et ensuite HB-Henriot, et après associé dans la Faïencerie d'Art Breton (fondée en 1994). Tous les associés de la FAB ont donné leur soutien complet à M. LeGoff quand il a annoncé le rachat de la FAB, dont le résultat est une consolidation de la manufacture et de l'avenir de la faïence de Quimper sous une direction.
Un moment très important dans l'histoire de la faïence de Quimper - nous attendons avec intérêt les nouveautés de Henriot-Quimper !!

Many thanks to Judy D @ Brittany Byways for this report.

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.

Barnyard Bash ~ French Style by Sarah

Paper Maché Figures from French Artist, Aude Goalet

Welcome to the French countryside for the First Barnyard Bash hosted by Happier Than a Pig in Mud.

~ Barnyard Bash French Style ~

8.5" Unmarked Manor House Plate

It's early morning at le mas, a typical french farm house.

8.75" Unmarked Soleil Plate

Le soleil rises over the hillside and . . .

11.5" HB Quimper Charger

The sound of Le coq is heard as he announces a beautiful new day at le ferme.

HB-Henriot Hen on Nest

Séance de poule is on her nest ready to provide fresh eggs for the day.

7.75" Unmarked Deep Dish Plate

One can hear the swishing sound of birds as they fly above the nearby pond, the elegant cygne noir gracefully glides across the still water.

Pair of Figurals Marked Rouen Decor Fait Main

Young Juliet and Jean Pierre are up early for their morning chores before they head off to school.

12" Malicorne Charger, Pre-Lawsuit Mark of Reversed P & B

Monsieur looks across his land with great pride as another day dawns.

Pig Bank Marked HB Quimper

Le porc can be heard snorting about the barnyard.

8.25" Plate Marked HB Quimper

While the spat of deux coqs echos through the barnyard.

Horse Figural Marked Rouen Decor Fait Main

Frisky chevaux gallop across the pasture in the morning dew.

Unmarked Desvres 3-Sided Tea Caddy

All is right in the world on this fine day.

Oil and Vinegar Server, First Mark Porquier-Beau

There is much work to be done in the fields and vegetables to be gathered from the garden.

Goat Figural Double Salt Marked Gaetan Level

La chevre helps carry the load from the fields back to the barn.

10.75" Malicorne Charger Marked PBx

There is the walk into the village for the morning market to sell some chickens and fresh eggs.

Unmarked Desvres 3-Sided Tea Caddy

And many chores for the lady of the house before days end.

Reverse Side of Oil and Vinegar Server, First Mark Porquier-Beau

Fresh water for cooking and washing is gathered from the well as Monsieur heads to the house at day's end.

Cat Figural Marked AG

Of course every ferme has un chat.

HR Quimper Jardiniere

And at the end of the week there is much singing and dancing to celebrate with a

A Barnyard Bash ~ French Style

9.5" Malicorne Plate Marked PBx

So grab a partner and dance yourself right over to Happier Than a Pig in Mud, our hostess for the First Annual Barnyard Bash. Also you are invited to join me at Hyacinths for the Soul for a Barnyard Bash ~ English Style. Hope to see you there!

Also linking this post to Laurie's A Few of My Farorite Things Saturday @ Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie. Click here to see others sharing favorite things this Saturday.

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 !