French Folk Art

Beautiful, unique Boule ball pair and one target ball, France, late 19th Century. In the 19th century, the manufacture of boules balls underwent significant development in France as...

Glazed ceramic plate by Pierre Martinon. Artist signature at the base. 1995. H : 1.2 x 9.8 x 13.6 inches.

Blue glazed ceramic vase attributed to Raoul Lachenal. Unsigned. Circa 1930. H : 15.7’ x 7.9’ x 7.9’ inches.

A big stoneware pot by Antoine de Vinck. Artist monogram under the base, circa 1980. Perfect original conditions.

Ceramic cup by Joelle Deroubaix. Artist signature under the base. Circa 1975. H : 5.3 x 17.1 x 11.8 inches.

A ceramic vase by Annie Maume to Sancerre. Perfect original conditions. Unique piece. Signed at the base. Circa 1980-1990.

Immerse yourself in the enchanting elegance of the Rococo era with this exquisite 19th-century hand-painted artwork, skillfully executed on wood. Housed in an ornate, gilt-accented f...

Rope bottle carrier for four bottles Audoux Minet, circa 1950.

Wall ceramic dish by Jacques Poussine & Pat Rowland. Two position on the wall. Abstract bird decoration. France, 1970s

A ceramic vase by Lucien Arnaud with glaze decoration. Signed under the base " Lucien Arnaud ". Circa 1920.  

A ceramic vase by Lucien Arnaud with glaze decoration. Signed under the base " Lucien Arnaud ". Circa 1920.    

Wonderful plain pair of andirons. France, 1880-1900. Solid iron in good condition according to its age. Firedogs are used as a holder for firewood in a fireplace. They are also know...

French faux painted and gilt marbleized console with two hinged flanking doors, fleur-de-lee & figural faces, single fitted interior shelf, and ter...

A large earthenware ceramic jardiniere or planter. This piece is decorated with a creamy white and blue design. Each side features an applied free-form handle. This would be great in...

This French 'Coiffure' sign is mid 20th century. The silvery/blue Zinc letters are on a painted white ply board. There are lots of bumps and scrapes and plenty of character to thi...

A colorful polychrome majolica bird motif vase in cream, green, blue, and yellow. This pretty french vase is shaped like a jug, and has two faux bois handles at the neck. A deliberat...

Stoneware and oxides sculpture entitled « Porter aux nues » by Pierre Martinon. Signed at the base « P.Martinon ». Unique piece. 2024. H : 30.7 x 7.5 x 6.7 inches.

A ceramic vase by Robert Heraud. Perfect original conditions. Signed under the base. Circa 1970-1980. Unique piece.

Ceramic vase by Huguette Bessone. Unique piece. Circa 1960-1970. H : 10 x 2.4 inches.

Stoneware and oxides sculpture entitled « Matador » by Pierre Martinon. Signed at the base « Martinon ». Unique piece. 2023. H : 18.1 x 7.9 x 6.7 inches.

A pair of ceramic vase by Jean Talbot. Perfect original conditions. Signed under the base. circa 1940. Unique piece.

Beautiful, unique Boule ball, France, late 19th Century. In the 19th century, the manufacture of boules balls underwent significant development in France as the game of boules, part...

Chessboard, contemporary design, solid oak & valchromat, XXIst century. Chessboard in solid oak and valchromat, contemporary French cabinetmaking, 21st century. Production time: 4 t...

A stoneware vase by Jeanne & Norbert Pierlot to Ratilly. Perfect original conditions. Artist monogram under the base "Pierlot." circa 1970. Unique piece.

Stoneware lamp with geometric decoration by Georges Martin. Artist monogram on the base. Circa 1970-1980. H : 6.3 x 5.3 inches (ceramic only). Sold with a European electrical system.

Exquisite 18th century French oil on canvas. There is a note at the back of the painting saying... "Oil on canvas given to me by my ...

A spherical white ceramic cachepot with cracked enamel, an anonymous work from the 20th century, distinguished by exquisite cutouts that elegan...

Sculpted large Walnut bowl in a dark ebonized finish. At the bottom of the bowl is a wooden triangular insert, which may have originally been there o...

Stoneware lamp with geometric decoration by Georges Martin. Artist monogram on the base. Circa 1970-1980. H : 13.4 x 10.2 inches (ceramic only). Sold with a European electrical system.

A rare pair of decorative wall-mounted ceramic by Alfred Renoleau. Perfect conditions. Each piece is signed, circa 1900.

A porcelain sculpture by Wayne Fischer. Perfect original conditions. Signed. Unique piece. 2022. How can an inert object produce deeply unsuspecting, indecipherable, uncontrollable emotions? Wayne Fischer is an artist who can create works that force one to ask such moving questions as this. If he doesn’t know why, if he can’t explain the deepest reasons of his artistic research, he definitely knows the workings and limitations of the artistic process he invented. He has never deviated from the course he set for himself since university; translate life. The works presented here show the evolution of his creations over the past thirty years. If Wayne Fischer has received several international prizes and quickly obtained the recognition of his peers in ceramics, nevertheless he retains a singular position at once unavoidable and disturbing. His sculptures are paradoxical, powerful and sensual, and cause a certain unease. They are beautiful, carnal, touchable, all the while being outside the standard idea of beauty. The ambiguity of attraction and rejection is at the heart of this evolution. The pieces from the 1980s and 90s are imposing by their size, stature and symmetry, which give them balance. They generate surprise, curiosity and play between contrasts that are both soft and aggressive. They reference the body, muscles, and torso, without presenting an exact reality. They are double-faced, seductive, and enigmatic. Wayne’s shapes are inspired by shells, bivalves, sometimes presented as though they are floating in space. But the reference of the marine world to the mysterious female body has only one interpretation and only history and emotion condition the reaction of the spectator: he accepts or refuses to see, to be seduced. He is touched or he flees. The more recent sculptures are appreciated in the fullness of their round volume and the search for a pure universal beauty. “Metamorphosis,” the work recently awarded by the Bettencourt Foundation, is from this series of pieces wheel- thrown and deformed which pushes the porcelain from the inside so the bulges evoke the movement of waves or the musculature of several bodies. The exactness, the clean breaks, the assurance of lines and valleys are testimony to the interior power that governs the creation. The life energy expressed is also felt by the artist as the origin of ceramics. All the pieces are curved and tense. They show no marking, no sign of the hand, no imprints, and yet give an impression of spontaneity, as if a dropped piece of clay found its form by chance. Depending on the angles, the content becomes “the origins of the world”. Femininity and sensuality are exalted. Inspired by the body, before and after birth, or simply the sea, the parts of the sculpture conjugate around a mysterious interior cavity, secret and troubling. The interior wall doesn’t correspond to the exterior, and has its own volumes, deformities, and intimacy. The pieces present two kinds of interior: one open, and partially uncovered, the other totally hidden inside. The differences of their respective deformation reinforce the impression of life : the subjective representation of muscles and bones, of bulges pushed by an interior force, like a visceral movement of respiration. The surface of the ceramic is crackled but soft and fine, even reflecting light like the skin. The nuances of color reinforce the expression of sensuality. The alignment of technique and what it causes one to see and feel has rarely been so intimately successful. Wayne Fischer perfected his technique in the 1970s and has remained faithful to it. He adds fibers to porcelain clay that has been chosen for its whiteness to create and accentuate volume around empty space, by assembling slabs or thrown pieces. Then, he makes another piece that takes its place inside; both parts are formed with no hand...

A very charming 19th century orchard ladder from the South of France constructed from naturally washed wood. A terrific accent piece.

This hand-carved Art Deco sculpture is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from France and date to approximately 1920 and done in the period Art Deco style. The sculpture is done in a softwood and depicts a stylized recling nude female holding a basket high above her head. The sculpture is mounted on a stepped base with painted inset accent squares. This could be a depiction of a woman giving...

Early-20th Century Boul Club Sign A complete one off, in the form of a hand carved / painted oversized Boul club advertising sign dated 1922. Completely u...

Prisoner of war straw-work ark Dated from late 18th/early 19th century, the lift-off upper section decorated with doors, windows, and geometric motifs...

Large floor vase in black glazed ceramic by Patrick Crulis. 2024. Unique piece. H : 27.9 x 15.7 x 19.7 inches. Approximate sizes.

Stoneware lamp with geometric decoration by Georges Martin. Artist monogram on the base. Circa 1970-1980. H : 5.5 x 3.9 inches (ceramic only). Sold with a European electrical system.

Full of character and rich in history, this antique French Provincial fruitwood grain scoop was once simply utilitarian, used to shovel oats into sacks. This fruitwood scoop has a lo...

French ball from a folk art game. Great patina and form. Normandy, France ca. 1860

French 19th c Wood and Paper Covered Painted Box With A Neoclassical, Palladian Style, Building Diorama Under the Glass Top. The 3D scene is of a Classical building with wild game...

"Space bar" by WAS Airplane trolley turned into an unique Artwork The trolley has been customized by the french artist WAS transforming it into a work...

A fine vintage French oil painting on unframed canvas of a table setting, featuring a food scene of a pan with eggs, an orange, and a bottle of wine, entitled 'Le Casse-Croûte' - mea...

Early 20th Century Double Sided Toleware French Dentists Trade Sign An original untouched example of an early 20th Century toleware double sided Frenc...

Early 20th century double sided metal boot makers trade sign. A highly decorative double sided hand painted metal French boot makers trade sign, Still attached to its original hin...

This exquisite 18th-century French portrait painting depicts a man and comes in its original gold-painted gilt wood frame. The painting showcases the fine artistry of the period, cap...

Stoneware ovoid vase with abstract decoration by Georges Martin. Artist signature on the back. Circa 1970-1980. Unique piece. H : 13.2’ x 4.1’ x 7.7’ inches.

Stoneware lamp with geometric decoration by Georges Martin. Artist monogram on the base. Circa 1970-1980. H : 11.8 x 9.4 inches (ceramic only). Sold with a European electrical system.

Stoneware lamp with geometric decoration by Georges Martin. Artist monogram on the base. Circa 1970-1980. H : 7.1 x 6.3 inches (ceramic only). Sold with a European electrical system.

French decorative ceramic representing a horse under the moon Height Tiles glued on a wood board The faience is hand painted and hand made circa 1970 Good condition   L40 P1,5 ...

Green and yellow glazed ceramic vase by Eugene Lion. Unsigned. Circa 1920. H : 6.7 x 4.3 inches.

A ceramic dish with an abstract glazes decoration by Robert Deblander. Perfect original conditions. Signed under the base. Circa 1965-1970.

An articulated mannequin of a small-sized painter, with a metaphysical face. The mannequin is made of carved mahogany wood. The support is in brass and the base, made out of ebon...

Large Antique Statue of a French Freedom Fighter ca. 1920s A large wooden French freedom fighter statue holding a metal saber. The hand-made scu...

Stoneware lamp with geometric decoration by Georges Martin. Artist monogram on the base. Circa 1970-1980. H : 10.6 x 8.7 inches (ceramic only). Sold with a European electrical system.

Charming 1940s / 1950s Light UP "ROOMS FOR LET" & "Chambres a Louer" SIGN, Unusual written in fRENCH & eNGLISH,,

Beautiful, unique Boule ball, France, late 19th Century. In the 19th century, the manufacture of boules balls underwent significant development in France as the game of boules, particularly the pétanque variant, gained in popularity. The manufacture of boules balls during this period was a manual process that required expertise, precision and love to detail. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in rural areas of France and other Mediterranean regions, olive wood was a commonly used source of material for making boules balls. This was not only due to the availability of the material, but also to the outstanding properties of olive wood, which was characterized by hardness, strength and a rich grain. First, the olive wood was carefully selected and shaped into raw balls, which were then sanded to the desired size and shape. The nails were then hammered into the balls one by one, making sure that they were evenly distributed and firmly anchored. Finally, the spheres were polished and coated with a protective varnish to enhance their natural beauty and protect them from the elements. The use of nails to decorate and reinforce olive wood boules was a traditional practice that not only gave the ball a rustic aesthetic, but also improved its durability and contributed to customization. Many balls were made according to the specific requirements and preferences of the players. Nails were driven at regular intervals around the ball, with each nail hole precisely placed so as not to affect the balance and weight distribution of the ball. These nails not only served as a decorative element, but also helped to strengthen the structure of the ball and make it more resistant to the hard knocks and wear and tear during play. Individual engravings or decorations were often applied to the balls to make them unique and identify the player. Antique boules...

Leonardo Da Vinci Hardcover Book by Patrice Boussel. Discusses Leonardo the man and painter, provides an analysis of his thinking as revealed in his...

Square stoneware pot with abstract decoration by Georges Martin. Artist monogram under the base. Circa 1970-1980. H : 8.8’ x 8.5’ x 6.7’ inches.

18th Century Folk Art Street Performance Figure. An unusual and complete one-off piece of folk art, in the form of a hand carved begging figure. Recently uncovered from a personal ...

Big stoneware pitcher by Georges Martin with geometrical decoration. Artist monogram on the base. Unique piece. Circa 1970-1980. H : 24.4 x 7.1 x 8.3 inches.