DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1399#0248
PLATE 281.
DECORATIVE EARTHENWARE,
EY AVISSEAU, TOURS.
T?OR many years the productions of M. B. Avisseau, Jun., of Tours, in imitation of Bernard
Palissy ware, have been known to all connoisseurs as ranking among the most remarkable
works of modern ceramic art. M. Avisseau received a second-class medal at Paris in 1855, and
in the present Exhibition a prize medal, the highest award the Jury could give, "for his examples
in the style of Bernard Palissy." We must premise, however, that the wording of this award
is essentially inaccurate; there cannot be said to have been any imitation of the style adopted by
Bernard Palissy in the objects forwarded by M. Avisseau to the Exhibition of 1862. It is true that
fishes, birds, &c, were represented in two pieces ad vivum; but there any imitation of the famous
old artist-potter ends; and his two most remarkable pieces perhaps were fine examples of true
Henri Deux ware, as will be seen on reference to our illustration. The dish was two feet long, and
valued at £45; it contained extraordinary imitations of a pike, bream, and eel in full relief, which
were most wonderfully life-like. As regards the heron and snake, although a work of high artistic
merit, we suspect M. Avisseau has not followed Nature in representing the bird as holding the
reptile in his bill: in fight the heron uses his long beak to pierce and not to grasp his enemy.
The candlesticks in the Henri Deux style were valued at £20 the pair; the highest praise
we can give them is to say they were equal to their models in design and execution; and we
quite agree with the remarks of Mr. Binns in regard to M. Avisseau's several works exhibited,
who states, in the " Mechanic's Journal," that they " are quite sufficient to establish the reputa-
tion of any artist-manufacturer, if he never made anything else. We scarcely know which to
admire most, the elegance of the colouring, the beauty of the modelling, or the perfection of the
manufacture."
The peculiar and unrivalled examples of the potter's art known as " Henri Deux ware " have
long formed a vexata qucestio amongst archaeologists, the place of its manufacture and the names
of the makers being equally unknown; but as on several pieces are to be seen the monogram
of Henry II. of France (A.D. 1547—1559), it has received his name as distinctive of the character
of the pottery, which certainly was not made after his reign, and which probably was commenced
during that of his predecessor, Francis I. (A.D. 1515—1547). Mr. J. 0. Robinson, in his opening
remarks on this ware in the Catalogue of the Loan Museum at South Kensington, has entered
into details regarding it, and arrives at the well-founded conclusions that it must have been
manufactured between the years 1540 and 1560; that it was produced in Touraine; that the
artist was a Frenchman, and not an Italian, as frequently alleged; and that a goldsmith, or some
one connected with the bookbinder's art, was employed in producing it. Some of these conclusions
have received strong confirmation within the present year; and M. Fillon, in a letter addressed
to M. Riocreux, the learned keeper of the Sevres Museum, asserts that he has discovered the place
of its production to have been Oiron, near Thouars (Deux-Sevres), and that it was made from clays
found in the locality by the potter Francis Oharpentier and John Bernard, librarian and secretary in
the G-ouffier family, and that they made this pottery whilst in the service of Claude Gouffier, between
the years 1537 and 1560, the monograms and arms being those of the king and dauphin Henry,
the Constable Anne de Montmorency, Claude Gouffier, and the Viscount de Thouars. For further
details the reader is referred to M. Fillon's letter, which will be found in the January number-
of the " Chronique des Arts," 1863, and contains much interesting and important matter.
DECORATIVE EARTHENWARE,
EY AVISSEAU, TOURS.
T?OR many years the productions of M. B. Avisseau, Jun., of Tours, in imitation of Bernard
Palissy ware, have been known to all connoisseurs as ranking among the most remarkable
works of modern ceramic art. M. Avisseau received a second-class medal at Paris in 1855, and
in the present Exhibition a prize medal, the highest award the Jury could give, "for his examples
in the style of Bernard Palissy." We must premise, however, that the wording of this award
is essentially inaccurate; there cannot be said to have been any imitation of the style adopted by
Bernard Palissy in the objects forwarded by M. Avisseau to the Exhibition of 1862. It is true that
fishes, birds, &c, were represented in two pieces ad vivum; but there any imitation of the famous
old artist-potter ends; and his two most remarkable pieces perhaps were fine examples of true
Henri Deux ware, as will be seen on reference to our illustration. The dish was two feet long, and
valued at £45; it contained extraordinary imitations of a pike, bream, and eel in full relief, which
were most wonderfully life-like. As regards the heron and snake, although a work of high artistic
merit, we suspect M. Avisseau has not followed Nature in representing the bird as holding the
reptile in his bill: in fight the heron uses his long beak to pierce and not to grasp his enemy.
The candlesticks in the Henri Deux style were valued at £20 the pair; the highest praise
we can give them is to say they were equal to their models in design and execution; and we
quite agree with the remarks of Mr. Binns in regard to M. Avisseau's several works exhibited,
who states, in the " Mechanic's Journal," that they " are quite sufficient to establish the reputa-
tion of any artist-manufacturer, if he never made anything else. We scarcely know which to
admire most, the elegance of the colouring, the beauty of the modelling, or the perfection of the
manufacture."
The peculiar and unrivalled examples of the potter's art known as " Henri Deux ware " have
long formed a vexata qucestio amongst archaeologists, the place of its manufacture and the names
of the makers being equally unknown; but as on several pieces are to be seen the monogram
of Henry II. of France (A.D. 1547—1559), it has received his name as distinctive of the character
of the pottery, which certainly was not made after his reign, and which probably was commenced
during that of his predecessor, Francis I. (A.D. 1515—1547). Mr. J. 0. Robinson, in his opening
remarks on this ware in the Catalogue of the Loan Museum at South Kensington, has entered
into details regarding it, and arrives at the well-founded conclusions that it must have been
manufactured between the years 1540 and 1560; that it was produced in Touraine; that the
artist was a Frenchman, and not an Italian, as frequently alleged; and that a goldsmith, or some
one connected with the bookbinder's art, was employed in producing it. Some of these conclusions
have received strong confirmation within the present year; and M. Fillon, in a letter addressed
to M. Riocreux, the learned keeper of the Sevres Museum, asserts that he has discovered the place
of its production to have been Oiron, near Thouars (Deux-Sevres), and that it was made from clays
found in the locality by the potter Francis Oharpentier and John Bernard, librarian and secretary in
the G-ouffier family, and that they made this pottery whilst in the service of Claude Gouffier, between
the years 1537 and 1560, the monograms and arms being those of the king and dauphin Henry,
the Constable Anne de Montmorency, Claude Gouffier, and the Viscount de Thouars. For further
details the reader is referred to M. Fillon's letter, which will be found in the January number-
of the " Chronique des Arts," 1863, and contains much interesting and important matter.