Jules Vieillard Centerpieces

Large centerpiece in fine earthenware from the Jules Vieillard factory in Bordeaux. This table jardiniere is royal blue with a decoration of two lions. The blue color is resplendent, and the enamel is very shiny. This centerpiece is adorned with a mascaron flanked by horns on each of the two faces. On the underside of the bowl, the piece is signed with an impressed mark of three interlaced crescents, with "Bordeaux JV" written. Dimensions: 28 cm x 46 cm (11.02 inches x 18.11 inches) Height: 30 cm (11.81 inches) Jules Vieillard in Bordeaux In 1840, Jules Vieillard (June 8, 1813 – September 17, 1868), a native of Paris already renowned in the field of porcelain, partnered with David Johnston, who ran a large faience factory in the Bacalan district, employing over 700 workers and producing 70,000 pieces per week. David Johnston, a native of Bordeaux of English origin who would later become mayor of Bordeaux, was somewhat overwhelmed by the management of the business and was forced to sell it to his associate Jules Vieillard in February 1845. Appreciated by Brongniart, the director of the Royal Sèvres Manufacture, the fine faience of Bordeaux won medals at various universal exhibitions in Paris and enlisted the services of Bordeaux painters and lithographers. Vieillard conducted firing tests and, in 1851, filed a patent. In 1852, Napoleon III, visiting Bordeaux, toured the Manufacture, which then employed 800 workers, awarded the Legion of Honor to Jules Vieillard, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming trade treaty between England and France. In 1854, Jules Vieillard received the gold medal at the Philomathic Exhibition and in 1855 the first-class medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. A very practical mind, Vieillard gradually moved away from English inspiration and created new, very colorful models with floral or oriental motifs. He invented many particularly charming models in both faience and porcelain, including table services, lamps, bowls, clocks, candlesticks, holy water fonts, vases, bottles, salt shakers, torches, and crucifixes. A wonderful collection of extreme finesse and great originality. In 1859, the report of the 10th Philomathic Exhibition in Bordeaux mentioned that "Jules Vieillard heads one of the finest establishments that France can...