Sarreguemines Flore Transferware Bone Dish
A beautiful vintage French faience (earthenware) bone dish with a blue floral transferware pattern. The pattern is called "Flore" from U & C Sarreguemines (Utzschneider and Co), one of the best known faience manufactures in France. The maker's mark dates the dish to 1900.
Bone dishes date from the Victorian Era and were originally used as a separating dish to keep cold food separated from hot food. However, later the custom was to use the plates as a means to simply remove detritus – bones, potato skins etc – away from the main plate.
Transferware, which got its start in Italy in the late 17th century, is glazed ceramic ware decorated using an engraved copper or steel plate, which is printed onto paper and then transferred onto a ceramic piece. French faience came into being in 1689 when King Louis XIV needed money and taxed tableware made of gold and silver.
History of Sarreguemines Pottery: In 1790, despite the unfavorable economic climate of the Revolution, Nicolas-Henri Jacobi and two partners set up the first faience factory in the commune of Sarreguemines. The city was brought to the top of the earthenware industry with their collections of earthenware, vases, flowerpots and wall frescos, which drew Napoleon I to become one of the factory’s major customers. The factory was so well known that they supplied most of the original tiles used to decorate the walls of the Paris metro! During the 2nd World War, the factory was seized and managed by Villery & Boch. After the war the Sarreguemines factory went on to specialize in the production of ceramic floor and wall tiles and in 1979 their production of faience came to an end.
Found in France
Some crazing and staining
No cracks or chips
Overall condition consistent with age and use
Measures approximately 10.75” L x ”6 W x 1.75” H
Available for pick up, local delivery, and nationwide shipping.
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