Thomas Victor Sergent-French Palissy Ware with Crayfish

Thomas Sergent Palissy Ware Majolica Trompe L'oeil lobster plaque, Paris, circa 1875. Thomas-Victor Sergent, (French, 1830-1890.) Sergent was an...

Large Majolica Palissy Ware Plaque by Victor Benizet (French 1805--1875) with lobsters, snake, lizards, insects, snails, and various shells, and a single Egyptian Scarab (a trademark of V. Benizet), on simulated water and sea floor...

Rare small Palissy platter with frog, shells, butterfly and plants, circa 1880 signed Thomas Sergent.

Rare small Palissy platter with alligator, snail, butterfly, shells and plants Thomas Sergent.

Small Palissy platter with fish, shells, butterfly and plants, circa 1880 signed Thomas Sergent.

Large and elaborate Palissy ware platter, attributed to the factory of Victor and Achille Barbizet. The long fish, probably a pike, surrounded by plants, insects and amphibians. Plants include ferns and a water lily; insects include a dragonfly, moth and beetle; amphibians include a snake, frog, crayfish and small turtle. Interspersed are a snail and numerous shells. Each creature is realistically modelled and glazed. This enormous platter was almost certainly made by Victor Barbizet (1805-1870). He is credited with founding the School of Paris, the group of Palissy makers that operated in Paris from roughly 1850-1900. Barbizet was known to make large platters, some measuring nearly 44". He rarely signed his work, as here. The manufacture of large scale ceramics...