French “Bleu de Nevers” Faience Smoking Service Tray, by Montagnon

A beautiful pair of hand-painted cobalt blue and white candle holders, these faience lions date to circa 1890. Based on production marks l...

In the style of 17th and 18th century Delftware, this pair of large polychrome faience wall plaques are from Holland, a region of the Netherlands. Hand-painted faience from Holland, such as this pair from the 1800’s, were typically painted in the traditional cobalt blue and white, however our plaques have vibrant colors that enhance two distinct scenes. Both plaques feature a roughly ovate shape molding and sinuous cutouts, typically seen in Dutch faience after the 17th century. These contoured edges have been painted with a nondescript motif consisting of quick brush strokes using blue paint. The plaque on the left in our main photo depicts Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Most of the followers are clad in blue, green, or gold robes...

This stunning lidded urn might have once been found in a 19th century Italian apothecary. The front of the shaped urn body has the hand-painted phrase “C. Violaru”, which is the heavily abbreviated form of the Latin word for violet (violaceum). Up until the mid-1700’s, apothecaries would make syrups from violets and use it to treat kidney ailments. Above the Latin wording is a whimsical musical scene with a man blowing a horn leading a couple who is holding hands over rocky terrain lined with shrubbery. A large house and trees can be seen behind the trio with a pair of mountains in the distance. On the opposite side of the urn is a floral display with a bird perched on a rock. Beneath the bird is a geometric design, possibly a stylized sun with radiating beams of light. Both scenes are segmented by a pair of thin quarter round moldings that encircle the entire vase. Other hand-painted motifs include floral and foliate margents, geometric patterns, and Vitruvian waves that are infilled with horizontal fluting. The sides of the urn have a fish-scale background beneath two mustachioed mascarons. Both men have been styled in grotesque fashion, with a pair of spiraled horns emanating from their heads. In between the horns is a looping handle that is affixed to the body in similar tight spirals. The domed lid has three scrolled arms that merge in a geometric finial. The base color of the urn is white, with illustrations in a monochromatic cobalt oxide blue, reminiscent of Delft blue pottery...

From Italy, this imposing antique hand-painted Majolica vase with handles is nearly 39 inches high. It is mainly a figural vase in style, ha...

This hand-painted Delft vase was produced in the Netherlands in the 1700’s. Delft is a city in the western part of the Netherlands that is world-renowned for ceramic pieces. As a home port of the Dutch East India Company, Delft was at the forefront of producing faience wares, which were influenced by imported Chinese porcelain. The prototypical Delftware has a white background with hand-painted cobalt blue imagery, though they can also be found in multi-colored or “polychrome” variations, such as ours. Our baluster form vase has a hand painted scene depicting a woman in a flowing dress walking across a field. The scene is surrounded by flowers, curled leaves, and a diapered background with flowering vine offshoots. On the opposite side of the baluster is a large flowering vine. The lid has a rural life cartouche that is painted with a scene depicting a farm overlooking a field or body of water . The handle of the lid has a similarly colored bird perched on a sinuous branch, while pecking at a berry. This particular design was seen on many delft baluster...

A beautiful set of five blue and white Delft vases, this faience collection was hand-painted in Holland, circa 1900. The three bulbous vases are lidded, each with a finial depicting a rampant lion with a ball in its forepaws. Beneath the lion is a mottled background (on the front side only), with a foliate and floral margent. Each vase has the same scene painted on the front of the main body: a couple walking through a field surrounded by flowers. The opposite side has a floral rinceaux above a foliate branch. Painted in a similar fashion, the two concave vases are without lids. The side opposite from the cartouche of the couple has floral margents. All five vases have canted corners on the base. Inspired by Italian majolica, the faience produced in 16th century Holland...

A charming antique French faience Quimper double inkwell and pen tray desk set, circa 1900. This gorgeous inkwell is hand painted with a traditional Breton man surrounded by bagpipes...

The faiencerie of Nevers is a ceramic production company from Nevers in France, which developed strongly at the end of the 16th century. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the faience...

A good French inkwell faience with great colors and details. Minors chips on the edges but overall condition. Signed CA,, with number 820. From Alcide Chaumeil's atelier in Paris ac...

This uniquely shaped ceramic inkwell was sculpted in France, circa 1880. The cartouche-shaped desk essential features a hand painted black and white center medallion with sailboats, ...

A good pair of Art Deco Faience bookends form HB Quimper, in good condition, very colorful. Dimensions are 7.5" long by 4.5" and 7" high. Each. Note, one small lost of glazing on the...

A French faience shaving bowl with hand-painted decoration in blue, green, yellow and pink. Rope on back for hanging.