Faience production at Rouen (north-west France) thrived under royal patronage from 1644. Early work was in the Italianate style of Nevers but, by the end of the century. It had responded to the fashion for blue and white, and developed a formal style of radiating decoration. Tin-glazed pottery gained acceptability following Louis XIV's command to melt down all silver plate to pay for a series of expensive wars, after which demand from the nobility for grand pieces to replace their lost silver.
The style of Rouen was far reaching. The most important factory in Strasbourg was that owned by the Hannong family. Charles-François Hannong was born in Maastricht in 1669 and was living in Strasbourg with his wife and two sons, Paul and Balthazar, by 1709. Initially, Hannong ran a factory producing clay pipes but in 1721 he entered into partnership with a ceramics painter, Henri Wachenfeld, and began the production of faience. The following year, Wachenfeld returned to his native Germany, leaving Hannong in full ownership of the enterprise. Charles-François retired in 1731 leaving the factory to his eldest son, Paul. The factory's productions during its early years are characterised by inky-blue decoration inspired by the prevelent fashions in blue and white faience, such as that produced at Delft and Rouen. Polychrome decoration was introduced during the 1730s by Paul Hannong.