Quimper Faience

The peasant, le petit Breton, adorns this circa
1910 plate with demifantaisie border.

Quimper has been a site of pottery making since Roman times. The "modern" era of production began more than three centuries ago, in 1690. That was the year Jean Baptist Bousquet founded a faïencerie and began producing basically utilitarian, ordinary Quimper ware. By the second half of the 19th century, several factories were producing Quimper and an era of creativity ensued.

What happened between the time of the Romans and Monsieur Bousquet, however, is important. About the fifth century A.D., Celts from Britain's Cornwall region moved into the region, settling in what became known as Brittany and imprinting their own culture, rituals and traditions on the region. Today's Bretons, descendants of those Celts, speak a form of Gaelic rather than French, and their celebrations reflect a different heritage.

Signed Henriot Quimper, this plate features
the popular peasants and the décor riche border.

Quimper pottery reflects that influence. Among the numerous motifs in Quimper, the prevailingly representative image is the peasant man and woman, the petit Breton or Bretonne, dressed in classic costume. The little peasants -- men in knee breeches and wide-brimmed hats, women in long skirts, aprons and head scarves -- are depicted in a variety of activities: They walk to market, pick flowers, tend flocks, play horns and bagpipes, dance.

Though the petit Breton is the best-known Quimper image, it didn't come along until the 1860s, about the time the trains reached the region and started bringing tourists from Paris, 380 miles to the east. Sightseers enthralled with the region needed souvenirs, and the little peasant, in his classically Breton costume, was a natural.

Though Quimper is still being produced, many collectors focus on items made before 1940. With Quimper, age is not always the determining factor in price. Artistic merit is very important.

French faïence includes a number of other makers producing pottery much influenced by Quimper. It may take an educated eye to distinguish Quimper from Malicorne and Desvres.

In addition to the petit Breton, popular Quimper designs included the fleur-de-lis, flowers, wooden shoes and geometrics.

Quimper has been produced in many forms,
but this circa 1920 egg carrier and the circa 1910 inkwell,
with its original inserts, are among the more rare.

Popular borders include the décor riche, a wide, cobalt blue border of acanthus leaves; the gros filets, concentric yellow and blue bands; croisille, a crosshatch look; Breton Broderie, imitating an embroidery pattern in Breton costume; and the a la touche, a simple floral design of single brush strokes.

Marks weren't commonly used until the second half of the 19th century; the word "Quimper" was added to most marks in 1904 because of increasing imitation around France; the word "France" was added after World War I to pieces destined for export.

Old Quimper often can be distinguished from new upon examination. Older pieces are uneven and may have irregular forms; glaze is thinner and less even; the clay itself may be buff or have a pinkish cast as opposed to the white of newer wares. Older Quimper pieces often will have pontil marks, three points in the clay where the piece was supported in the kiln. Colors tend to be more subtle in older Quimper.