MONTAGNON LANTERN #5 Castanets & Guitar Musicians Nevers French Faience c1880
This is a very rare
and unusual antique Nevers MONTAGNON
French Faience whimsical Lantern in handled jug style form.
The subject matter on the
Lantern includes a décor of two caricature figures, Mansion
House Dwarf Musicians. One is the figure of the well-dressed Walking
Gentleman with Castanets and a Cane, and the other known as Man Dancing with Guitar in feathered peak hat.
They are well-dressed in colorful colloquial
costumes amid scenic decorative landscapes.
The lantern has a front
opening where a candle would be placed: the top is pierced with holes in
front to release the heat. There is a knob handle on top, and
a large rear handle the back.
The inside of this lantern
is glazed in white; the underside bottom and rim foot are
unglazed.
The lantern has modeling,
decorating, and glaze that are exceptionally well done with typical
colors of antique Nevers pottery: creamy white background decorated
with varying shades of blue, yellow, green, orange, red, and magenta.
The underside bottom is unglazed and shows the terra cotta color of the faience of this region; is signed by Antoine Montagnon (1875 - 1899), with marks of old and original French Art Pottery, and includes these makers marks: a large green ribbon bow in green glaze that is faded from wear, and stylized AM and 12 in manganese.
Dimensions (Lantern):
6.7 in. Tall X 3.8
in. Wide X 5.5 in. Deep
Weight (Total):
1 Lb., 1.0 Oz.
The estimated date is
circa 1890.
This French Antique
MONTAGNON French Faience whimsical Lantern depicting Mansion House
Dwarves is in very good condition, noting a small ¼ in. chip on the inside
top right edge of the front opening, and a previous professional restoration to
the neck of the top knob (see photos). Condition status includes minimal
normal wear and rubbing, glaze losses, firing flaws, crazing, and fretting.
This item is sound, having no other chips, cracks, or major defects, and having
had no other apparent repairs or restorations. This item is sold as is, as
described. Please see all photos which are a part of this description. Please
note that this item is photographed in natural light; shadows that may appear
as irregularities are not necessarily chips, cracks, or discoloration.
Mansion
House Dwarves
Historically, the Mansion
House Dwarves were actual dwarf actors who entertained and sold products
outside at the historically famous Mansion House in London. These Dwarves were
depicted in the engravings of 17th Century French artist and engraver, Jacques
Callot. The theme of Callot Dwarves is represented
in this fine rare faience art pottery by Antoine Montagnon.
Nevers
faience
Please note this faience
item is from Nevers faience, not Quimper or
Desvres. Though similar, there are different color palettes used and other
nuances on the two potteries. Nevers faience manufacture was from central
France in the area of the same name. The area was famous for superb art pottery
known as faience; a pottery technique whereby tin glazes and decorations are
applied over a modeled terra cotta or clay forms, and fired several times in a
kiln.
The city of Nevers, Nièvre, now in the
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central France, was a center for
manufacturing faience, or tin-glazed earthenware pottery, between around 1580
and the early 19th century. Production then gradually died down to a single
factory, before a revival in the 1880s.
Nevers faience was one of the centers
where the istoriato style of Italian maiolica was transplanted in the 16th
century, and flourished for rather longer than in Italy itself. In the 17th
century Nevers was then a pioneer in imitating Asian ceramic styles in Europe,
within some decades followed by all producers of fine wares. The second half of
the 17th century was Nevers' finest period, with several styles being made at
the same time, including a grandiose Italianate Court style.
By the time of the French Revolution
Nevers wares had ceased to be fashionable and expensive, but the relatively
crudely painted faiences patriotiques wares commenting on political events have
great interest and charm. A late 19th-century revival concentrated on
high-quality revivalist wares recreating past glories. In 1838, 700 workers
were reported to be employed, but by 1846 only six factories remained, and by
1850 five.
By 1875 its fortunes had reached a low
ebb, and it was bought by Antoine Montagnon, who had ambitious plans to
relaunch it to supply the market for revivalist wares imitating 17th-century
pieces, often large and complex pieces. By 1881 it was the only factory left in
Nevers. The Montagnon factory (faïencerie) was successful for over a century,
with 50 employees around 1900, and its wares exhibited at international
exhibitions, but the factory, by then the oldest in France, finally closed in
2015. In 2020, two factories remained in production, both mainly making
traditional styles.
Please check out my other listings
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Selling my personal collection of
antiques: porcelain and pottery including French Faience, fine old nutcrackers
and carvings, other objets d’Arte; interested to sell one at a time, or as a
group in a collection. All inquiries welcome. Please bookmark this work;
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describe and photograph every item, but sometimes something is missed. The age
quoted is an estimate based on form, design, research, and Seller’s collecting
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