L'Âne Savant
Plate
ca.1840 (made)
ca.1840 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This plate is illustrated with a French street scene from around 1840, showing a showman working a pitch with his sapient donkey or ''L'Âne Savant' that is depicted studiously inspecting seven playing cards in the ground before him.
The plate was made at the Gien factory near Orleans in France, some time between 1833 and 1834 when the maker's mark stamped on the back of this plate was used. The Gien factory was founded in the Loire Valley in 1821 by Thomas Hall, an Englishman who wanted to introduce fine English earthenware manufacturing techniques in France. Production began with functional tableware, and developed to include a wider range of dinnerware and decorative pieces.
The plate was made at the Gien factory near Orleans in France, some time between 1833 and 1834 when the maker's mark stamped on the back of this plate was used. The Gien factory was founded in the Loire Valley in 1821 by Thomas Hall, an Englishman who wanted to introduce fine English earthenware manufacturing techniques in France. Production began with functional tableware, and developed to include a wider range of dinnerware and decorative pieces.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | L'Âne Savant (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Transfer-printed earthenware |
| Brief description | Plate entitled 'L'Âne Savant', featuring a central black line-engraved image of a showman and his sapient donkey. Engraving by 'HN'. Transfer-printed earthenware by Gien, France, ca.1840. |
| Physical description | Earthenware plate printed with a black and white engraving showing a top-hatted showman and his sapient donkey. The donkey has a patterned caparison and a head harness with an attached plume of feathers, and is studying cards on the ground, They stand in a town setting with people gathered around. In the background is a grocer's shop with the shop sign 'L.H. NYON EPICIERS' The title 'L'ÂNE SAVANT 'appears under the central image. The rim of the plate is decorated with an alternating pattern of bunches of flowers and ripe fruit. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Mark verso: 'PORCELAIN OPAQUE GIEN' within roundel composed of arrows and dots |
| Summary | This plate is illustrated with a French street scene from around 1840, showing a showman working a pitch with his sapient donkey or ''L'Âne Savant' that is depicted studiously inspecting seven playing cards in the ground before him. The plate was made at the Gien factory near Orleans in France, some time between 1833 and 1834 when the maker's mark stamped on the back of this plate was used. The Gien factory was founded in the Loire Valley in 1821 by Thomas Hall, an Englishman who wanted to introduce fine English earthenware manufacturing techniques in France. Production began with functional tableware, and developed to include a wider range of dinnerware and decorative pieces. |
| Associated object | S.85-2007 (Object) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.241-2018 |
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| Record created | September 26, 2018 |
| Record URL |
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