Saturated blue glazes drip organically down the bold, two-handled form of this French Art Nouveau urn from the early Twentieth Century. It was made in the French village of Pierrefonds—some 55 miles North-East of Paris—in the shadow of the village's Medieval castle, Le Chateau de Pierrefonds. The deep blue glazes convey an ice-cold mien, perfect for the frozen, clean winter weather.
The Pierrefonds pottery workshop was opened by a painter, a French nobleman, Comte Hallez d"Arros in 1903. He envisioned producing handsome tableware—plates, bowls, pitchers—painted with fancy aristocratic heraldry: shields, banners, noble crests. The village's castle, he thought, would be a perfect backdrop to such a romantic and aspirational product line. And the pottery's name, La Societe Faienciere Heraldique de Pierrefonds, was bound to capture the public's attention. Alas, it wasn't long before the Count was putting the workshop on the market and it was purchased by someone with a more commercially-viable concept.
The Pierrefonds pottery workshop was opened by a painter, a French nobleman, Comte Hallez d"Arros in 1903. He envisioned producing handsome tableware—plates, bowls, pitchers—painted with fancy aristocratic heraldry: shields, banners, noble crests. The village's castle, he thought, would be a perfect backdrop to such a romantic and aspirational product line. And the pottery's name, La Societe Faienciere Heraldique de Pierrefonds, was bound to capture the public's attention. Alas, it wasn't long before the Count was putting the workshop on the market and it was purchased by someone with a more commercially-viable concept.
Art Nouveau sculptor, Emille Bouillon, was hired to direct the reorganized company's artistic ascent—which he did with beautiful Art Nouveau shapes and wonderful crystalline and lustrous glazes. In time, Emille embraced the Art Deco; in fact, Pierrefonds won the Silver Medal at the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs de Paris in 1925. In 1937, Emille took ownership of the workshop and his sons ran the company until the pottery closed in 1966.
The urn shown above, made in the early Twentieth Century, is a study in boldness. The form and the saturated blue glazing makes this piece a wonderful stand-alone piece or part of a larger grouping of beautiful ceramics. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248