Early 18th Century French faience plate

 
Stock AA1475

Early 18th Century French faience (tin glazed earthenware) plate, hand painted floral decoration (AF)

C. 1790

Diameter: 33 cm

Long before Europeans discovered the secret of making true porcelain, they began producing wares that emulated the exquisite blue and white products imported from Japan.

Majolica, delft, and faience are really names for similar ceramic products. An earthernware body is covered with an opaque in enameled glaze, usually colorfully decorated.

In France, three types of production have been used. The grand feu technique fired the clay once, then dipped it in the liquid glaze; the artist painted the design on the dried glaze, then the piece was fired. A later method was the petite feu where the piece was glazed and fired before the design was applied, then fired again. Faience fine, a later import from England, utilized a fine white clay covered with translucent glaze. The decoration was painted or transferred on the glaze and fired.