This is a set of two gorgeous early 18th century French faience grand plat rond Display/Cabinet plates. Or in Rouen style. The plates have a heavy, thick clay body fired with a fine tin glaze of a slightly bluish milky tint. They are decorated with Coat of Arms at the center and lilies and typical early french symbols. One of the plate is unmarked, the other has “14” on the back. Are 9 3/4″ in diameter and they are 1 1/2″ deep. The plates are in good museum quality condition. There is few chips on the paint around the rim and crazing that is consistent with their age. There are few manufacturing defects on the back. The plates are wired for wall display. A super addition to any collection and a wonderful display pieces. Would have a place in any china collection. Faience, or tin-glazed and enameled earthenware, first emerged in France during the sixteenth century, reaching widespread usage among elite patrons during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, prior to the establishment of soft-paste porcelain factories. Although characterized as more provincial in style than porcelain, French faience was used at the court of Louis XIV as part of elaborate meals and displays, with large-scale vessels incorporated into the Baroque garden designs of Versailles. Earlier examples of French faience attest to the strong influence of maiolica artists from Italy. Later works demonstrate the ways in which cities such as Nevers, Rouen, Lyon, Moustiers, and Marseille developed innovative vessel shapes and decorative motifs prized among collectors throughout Europe. While faience can be created from a wide mixture of clays, it is foremost distinguished by the milky opaque white color achieved by the addition of tin oxide to the glaze. French faience is typically divided into two types. Grand feu (high fire) describes pieces that have been decorated with glaze and metallic oxides before being fired a single time at a high temperature of around 1650°F (900°C). Petit feu (low-fire) faience, developed in the second half of the eighteenth century, refers to a process whereby the clay body is fired before being glazed and decorated with metallic oxides and then fired again at a lower temperature; pieces can also go through a third firing. Grand feu pieces have a more limited color palette that consists of blue, yellow, brown-purple, and green. By contrast, the lower firing temperature of petit feu faience enabled both greater precision in painting techniques and variety in the range of colors. Check out my other items. Be sure to add me to your favourites list. These charges are the buyers responsibility. We will open an unpaid case after four days. The item “18thC French Faience Rouen Style Heraldic Armorial Plates Bowls Fayence Antique” is in sale since Thursday, March 14, 2019. This item is in the category “Antiques\Decorative Arts\Ceramics & Porcelain\Plates & Chargers”. The seller is “retro_saloon23″ and is located in Ontario. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Style: French Country, Provincial
• Color: Multi-Color
• Original/Reproduction: Original