Conch Shell thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Conch Shell

ca 1862 (made)
Artist/Maker
Gillet Et Brianchon (manufacturer)
Place of origin
Paris (made)
france

Jules-Joseph-Henri Brianchon (d. 1880) worked in partnership with his brother-in-law, a M. Gillet, from several Paris addresses between 1855 and 1880. In 1857 he patented couleurs nacrées ('pearly colours') based on bismuth-gold, uranium and palladium salts. This lustrous glaze became the firm's speciality, applied to many wares in a variety of style. Indeed, a critic at the international exhibition, London, 1862, in which this Conch Shell was shown, felt their use of the technique was neither discriminating nor novel. However, the jury's Report thought the wares of 'extreme brilliancy and the delicacy of the tints'..would counter any 'objection that might arise on the charge of meretricious glitter'. Perhaps this shell is one of the more appropriate and popular applications of Brianchon's patent.


Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Sculpture
Object type
Conch shell
Materials and techniques
Porcelain, coloured with lustre glaze
Porcelain
Glaze
Lustre
Brief description
F, P, PARIS (GILLET ET BRIANCHON), 19
Physical description
Ornament in the form of a conch shell resting on a group of shells and marine plants
Dimensions
  • Depth: 21cm
  • Length: 18cm
  • Height: 15cm
Gallery label
  • Label for 'American and European Art and Design 1800-1900', Gallery 101, de-canted March 2017: '17 Conch Shell About 1862 Shown at the International Exhibtion, London 1862 In 1857 Brianchon registered a patent for couleurs nacrées or 'pearly colours'. The technique used busmuth, gold, uranuim and palladium salts to creat an iridescent effect. This became the firm's speciality and was applied to a variety of wares, many less suited to it than this shell. One critic dais that their use of it was 'neither discriminating nor novel'. France, Paris; manufactured by Gilles & Brianchon Hard-paste porcelain, painted in colours and iridecent glazes Museum no. 7739-1862 Given by Mr Clark'(22/04/2017)
  • Gallery 101, Nineteenth Century Europe 19 Conch Shell About 1862 Shown at the International Exhibition, London, 1862 In 1857 Brianchon registered a patent for couleurs nacrées or ‘pearly colours’. The technique used bismuth, gold, uranium and palladium salts to create an iridescent effect. This became the firm’s speciality and was applied to a variety of wares, many less suited to it than this shell. One critic said that their use of it was ‘neither discriminating nor novel’. France, Paris; manufactured by Gilles & Brianchon Hard-paste porcelain, painted in colours and iridescent glazes Museum no. 7739-1862 Given by Mr Clark(2006-2017)
  • CONCH SHELL Gillet et Brianchon Manufacturer Paris: about 1862 Porcelain with colours and an iridescent glaze 7739-1862 Jules-Joseph-Henri Brianchon worked in partnership with his brother-in-law Gillet from several Paris adresses between 1855 and 1880. In 1857 he patented couleurs nacrées ("pearly colours") based on bismuth-gold, uranium and palladium salts. This lustrous glaze became the firm's speciality, applied to many wares in a variety of styles. Indeed, a critic of the London 1862 Exhibition felt their use of the technique was neither discriminating nor novel. This shell, shown in 1862, is one of the more appropriate and popular applications of Brianchon's patent. Given by Mr. Clark(1987-2006)
Credit line
Given by Mr Clark
Object history
Shown in the international exhibition, London, 1862, Class XXXV, no. 3354
Summary
Jules-Joseph-Henri Brianchon (d. 1880) worked in partnership with his brother-in-law, a M. Gillet, from several Paris addresses between 1855 and 1880. In 1857 he patented couleurs nacrées ('pearly colours') based on bismuth-gold, uranium and palladium salts. This lustrous glaze became the firm's speciality, applied to many wares in a variety of style. Indeed, a critic at the international exhibition, London, 1862, in which this Conch Shell was shown, felt their use of the technique was neither discriminating nor novel. However, the jury's Report thought the wares of 'extreme brilliancy and the delicacy of the tints'..would counter any 'objection that might arise on the charge of meretricious glitter'. Perhaps this shell is one of the more appropriate and popular applications of Brianchon's patent.
Bibliographic reference
Jury Reports, international exhibition, London, 1862 p.6
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
7739-1862

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O341767/conch-shell-gillet-et-brianchon/
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