WEDNESDAY'S WORD OF THE WEEK: FAÏENCE

FAIENCE

fa·ience [fahy-ahns, fey-; French fa-yahns]

noun [fahy-ahns, fey-; French fa-yahns]

Ceramics. glazed ceramic ware, in particular decorated tin-glazed earthenware of the type that includes Quimper, usually that of French, German, Italian, or Scandinavian origin, especially a fine variety with highly colored designs.

Origin:

1714; < from French faïence, probably from Fayence, French form of Faenza, city in northern Italy that was a noted ceramics center 16c.

Historic French Faienceries
Illustration by Nan Richards

The name faience or faïence is simply the French name for the northern Italian town of Faenza, where painted majolica (or maiolica) was produced for export during the Renaissance. Italian majolica inspired the production of similar wares in France in 1689 when King Louis XIV, France's Sun King, ordered all gold and silver tableware to be melted in order to increase the royal treasury and finance his campaigns. Louis XIV sent his own dinner service to be melted into coinage and his court did the same. In less than a week, French nobility was without quality tableware. French entrepreneurs quickly began to imitate the brightly decorated Italian earthenware of Faenza and French faience was born. It provided a less costly, yet still highly refined and elegant alternative to porcelain. King Louis XIV was said to have preferred faience over his extensive collection of fine Chinese porcelain and it soon became a favorite among even the wealthiest French citizens.

French faienceries produced elegant tea sets, tiles, tureens, fine tableware and luxurious dinnerware sets for the noble and the fashionable during the 17th and 18th centuries. Louis XIV went so far as to commission the architect Louis Le Vau to design the Trianon de Porcelaine to be built on the outskirts of Versaille. This porcelain pavilion, built with tin-glazed tiles from Holland, Nevers and Rouen, was used as a place to escape the pomp and formality of court life with his mistress Madame de Montespan. The building deteriorated after a few years, as did his relationship with his mistress, and was torn down and replaced, as was Madame de Montespan.

Trianon de Porcelaine

France produced great quantities of superior faience tableware in the 17th century as faience craftsmen traveled throughout Europe to teach their trade. The major French faience cities were Quimper in Brittany, which is home to the Musee de la Faience, Rouen, Strasbourg, Gien, Nevers, Nîmes, Sarreguemines and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, also home to a faience museum.

Limoges - Musée de la Porcelaine Adrien-Dubouché, Sèvres-Cité de la céramique

In the late 17th century, Moustiers became one of the largest and finest production centers of faience. When King Louis XIV melted his fine porcelain, he replaced it with earthenware from Moustiers, giving the village great notoriety. Documents found in the Faïence Museum reveal that a monk, originally from Faenza, gave the secret of faience making to a local potter named Pierre Clérissy, who established the most important factory in Moustiers. 

Another important Moustiers factory was that of Joseph Olerys, founded in 1738 and active until 1793. Olerys introduced polychrome decoration, producing faience that was painted in purples, soft greens, oranges and blues. Other polychrome faience wares produced by this factory were decorated with such designs as chinoiseries, military motifs, medallions and the potato flower motif. Overglaze painted decoration was introduced in the late 18th century by yet another Moustiers factory. The wares manufactured in the 17th and 18th centuries were so distinctive, and of such high quality, that they were extensively copied by other faience manufacturers in France. 19th century Moustiers faience consisted of reproductions of earlier wares.

Limoges - Musée de la Porcelaine Adrien-Dubouché, Sèvres-Cité de la céramique

Since most faience is rarely marked, it's identified by the usual methods of ceramic quality: the character of the body, the character and palette of the glaze and the style of decoration. Quimper reflects a strong traditional Breton influence. Typical Quimper faience features the "petit breton", a naive representation of a Breton man and/or woman in traditional Breton costume. The "petit breton" became popular around 1870 and is still the main design bought by tourists. Prior to 1870, Quimper faience had no marks, signatures or back stamps of any kind.

Today, each piece of HB Henriot Quimper pottery is signed on the back by the artist prior to the firing. The "Quimper Brush Stroke" signature was created from various calligraphy styles developed by their painters and guarantees that the faience is original. This is a great site to check the markings on your faience.

HB Henriot Quimper Signatures and Marks

The term faience is now used for a wide variety of tin-glazed earthenware made in France, Germany, Spain and Scandinavia. Faience is distinguished from Faenza majolica as well as the Dutch and English glazed earthenware called delft. French faience is usually more simple than Italian majolica with a larger portion of white background. 

French Faience Oyster Set from Brittany Region

French Majolica Oyster Set from St. Jean de Bretagne

The tin glaze used in faience is actually a lead glaze that has been rendered white and opaque by the addition of tin oxide, imitating Chinese porcelain. An unglazed item is first fired in a kiln, dipped in the tin glaze and then allowed to dry. Next, designs are painted on the glaze, which sets them off and preserves them during a second firing at a very high temperature. The decoration fuses and blends with the top glaze to appear as if it has a white background like porcelain. If chipped or cracked, the item will be brown or beige. The colors originally used to paint designs were limited to the few that could tolerate the high temperatures. During the 18th century, a low-fire overglaze enamel began being used and faience became more colorful. Ceramic artists continue to produce a very fine variety of highly colorful and beautiful designs using this method.

While faience has never quite recaptured the mass appeal it once had, the technique remains in use today. Beautiful china is meant to be used and loved. It makes a simple meal or cup of tea feel more special. Is there a particular pattern you collect? Do you prefer porcelain to faience? Let us know!

À Bientôt!

Lolo & Mimi