Pair of Antique French Faience Plates

• France, circa 1890
• Dimensions: 9 1/2 inches diameter

French Faience, or tin-glazed and enamelled earthenware, emerged in France during the end of the sixteenth century. Reaching widespread usage among elite patrons, Faience continued through all of the eighteenth century. While Faience can be created from a wide mixture of clays, it is distinguished by the milky white opaque white color achieved with the addition of tin oxide to the glaze.

The first porcelain produced in France was soft-paste and was made in the Faience factories. Soft-paste, which preceded hard-paste, originated around 1700 and became popular in the second quarter of the 18th century. Originally the pieces were influenced by and imitated Chinese blue and white porcelain. However that soon changed as factories in France soon began to develop their own style. These new looks were the Baroque and Rococo styles. In the mid 18th century, Louis XV took control of the Vincennes factory. Later this became Sevres which became the most prominent porcelain producer in Europe. This lasted until the end of the 18th century. By 1770, the Sevres factory was successful in producing hard-paste porcelain.

A lovely pair of Antique French Faience Plates from the late 19th century. Set on a white background, there is a gold looking color scroll design which resonates near the scalloped border. Each plate has a slightly different scalloped design just like each plate has a different gold looking color floral center.