Featured French Faience Chicken Mark

This nice little faience chicken lidded pot (not sure what it’s intended use is) is signed AB

I can’t find the signature in my faience book. Can anybody help?

thanks

John

 

Is the mark underglaze? I am always suspect about ink markings.

 

I read that Porquier used AB for a short time, but I don't know if this is it.

 

Clean the rim around the bottom. There seems to be something written on it.

 

Thanks for the comments. I don’t think it is Porquier , there is no writing on the bottom rim. I think the mark is okay. If it were a fake it would be faking a recognised mark. I don’t think it’s very old but it would be good to pin down the maker .

 

That one looks 'carved'? into the piece before firing.....

 

It is painted under glaze

 

Not sure what it's intented use is?........a lot of potters made chicken cookie jars.

 

Yes it is underglaze

 

@John Brassey @janetpjohn Porquier used a Marque "AP" in exactly the same style as the above chicken from 1875. All that was missing was the bottom of the B, and no v shaped crossbar on the A.

There are lots chicken and duck pot to be found in France, and I am sure nobody knows their true purpose. My guess is they were used on the table for hard boil eggs.

 

It would take up an awful lot of kitchen storage space, wouldn't it, just to serve hard boiled eggs! But I imagine it would keep them warm, and make them seem more appetising. Hen crocks were also popular here to store fresh eggs, and I suppose they were (and maybe still are) kept out on the work surface to keep the eggs handy for cooking.

 

My Kovel Dictionary of Mark's has this mark as Lille France fayence painted 18th century.
Mikey

 

Not to store fresh eggs, surely! I'm certain our grandparents would have known that fresh eggs should be stored point down. Any other way causes the yolk to stick to the shell.

 

It's a cookie jar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lot's and lot's of chicken cookie jars appear after my image search, but I can't match the initials.

I found a few ABs but none exactly like this.

 

It isn't a cookie jar no matter how many exclamation points you use.

A cookie jar does not have that huge empty space inside above the place where the lid lifts off. All that air inside would make the cookies go stale way too fast.

@John Brassey Would you provide dimensions please?

 

There are a few ABs in this chart, but none like this one:

 

It's a cookie jar:
chicken cookie jars - Bing images

 

The mark looks the same, but I don't think this is 18th century.

 

StealStreet SS-CG-31979 12" Tall Painted Standing Rooster on Fruit Kitchen Cookie Jar : Amazon.com.au: Kitchen & Dining