Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Dish

ca.1855 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The plate, with its casts after nature and its mottled blue, purple, brown and yellow glazes, is in close imitation of wares made by Bernard Palissy from about 1540 to 1575. These and their maker were something of a cult in France from about 1850. The first to copy them, from about 1843, was Charles Jean Avisseau (1796-1861), brother-in-law of Joseph Landais, who was originally a modeller with Avisseau before setting up on his own.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Earthenware painted with enamels and modelled
Brief description
Oval dish of grey earthenware painted with enamels and modelled, in the style of Bernard Palissy, probably made by Joseph Landais, Tours, ca. 1855
Physical description
Dish of grey earthenware painted with enamels and modelled. Oval in shape. With fish, reptiles, shells and an insect modelled from nature. The fish is placed along the middle which is incised and painted to imitate ripples of water. On the rim are a snake, a lizard, a frog and shells among fern-fronds and ivy-leaves. Made in imitation of 16th century Palissy ware.
Dimensions
  • Length: 34.9cm
  • Width: 29.2cm
Production typesmall batch
Credit line
Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street
Object history
In the mid-19th century the work of Bernard Palissy (about 1510-1590) was rediscovered and it became very popular. This encouraged a number of French potters to produce copies. They were at least as good as the originals, and often much more elaborate. Although the 19th century potters did not generally make them as fakes, later these copies became much confused with the work of Palissy and his immediate followers.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The plate, with its casts after nature and its mottled blue, purple, brown and yellow glazes, is in close imitation of wares made by Bernard Palissy from about 1540 to 1575. These and their maker were something of a cult in France from about 1850. The first to copy them, from about 1843, was Charles Jean Avisseau (1796-1861), brother-in-law of Joseph Landais, who was originally a modeller with Avisseau before setting up on his own.
Associated object
2815-1856 (Object)
Collection
Accession number
4068-1901

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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