Hello We have a few plates which we believe are French Revolution faience plates. I have attached photos of a couple of them. Grateful for any info please? Thanks Jon
Backsides please. My gut feel is these are reproductions. Tin glazed faience of the original age ought to have some bangs and chips. Plus, the decoration is too deliberate and careful, especially what looks like a purposeful over run on the writing.
Ok, thanks for your response. Here is one photo of the back of the plate. I can add others, better quality if helpful.. Thanks again.
at the moment I get a feeling that they were - if really old - made in England because they seem to be anti-revolution.
fid, I think there's almost no age to them at all, especially looking at the backs. The clay is an odd colour, the glaze is VERY gloopy and those wear marks on the edges look deliberate.
I'm finding the backs difficult to photograph but here are another few attempts. Thanks to all for their comments so far.. Best wishes
own, what makes them interesting to me: they seem to have a certain connection with the Vendée uprising and war. especially the one marked 1793 may refer to the introduction of mandatory military service, here jokingly showing that even wives when good citizens were under arms.
Holy gallows humor, Batman. They don't look particularly old to me either. A lot of pieces like this were made as souvenirs for the Bicentennial of the Revolution. That's most likely what they are.
Here's an eBay listing for another copy of the second. Make of it what you will. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Rare-ca-1890...Speaking-Plate-Nevers-n-Quimper-/201169335090
The eBay listing is pretty accurate -- these are from Nevers, sometime in the last quarter of the 19th century. Virtually all of the revolutionary decorated faience available today was made sometime after 1860.
'Rasoir National' = the guillotine. There are a lot of repro plates like this around - and others which have simply been made the same for many years. Best to put it in the hands of someone who can determine / 'feel' its age. The 'wear' on the edges of these looks a bit suspect without any crazing being present.
I think offering someone a free shave during the revolution would be equivalent to inviting a bandit to a "necktie party".
Thanks, all, for your helpful comments. Here's a photos of the third plate. From your comments it seems that they are most likely reproductions. Grateful for any more insight from you guys? I guess we will follow Jo Taylor's advice and try and get someone to look at them. Thanks again!