antique prints, maps and watercolors

Gabriel Fourmaintraux. Table Accessories. Sevres, ca. 1900. $500.00

click for detailed image sevrestablepiecesvlg.jpg

Table Accessories

Blue, white and pink and red, white and blue designs for 3 lines of table accessories including mustard pots, open salts, knife rests, salt shakers, and condiment containers. Pencil notations indicate prices with and without silver mounting.

Blue and white are all the rage in design right now from Martha Stewart to Pinturesque to MixCentury.

 

For almost 300 years, since it was produced under the patronage of Louis XV, Sevres porcelain has been highly regarded for its high quality and beautiful design. These watercolors and hand water colored pouchoir prints are original designs created by the Sevres artist Gabriel Fourmaintraux to serve as guides for the painters of the porcelain and as sales tools for prospective clients showing them the range of sizes, decorative motifs, and finishing available at varying prices. The inclusion of pencil notations of prices, sizes and finishing options and stamps indicating order numbers are evidence of the fascinating role of the works as working designs. Our collection includes depictions of breakfast, dinner and dessert serving pieces, boxes, trays, lamps, table and toiletry accessories, vases, etc. Each is a beautiful and unique historical record of French decorative art.

A museum (A la belle Epoque de la Faience de Desevres) has been established in what were Gabriel Fourmaintraux’s workshops. It is located just outside of Paris at 114 rue Jean Jaures in Desevres.

12 ¾ x 18 ¾ inches, sheet.
Water color drawing.
Good condition but with some evidence of handling and paper residue on reverse of upper edge of sheet.