French Antique Talking Plate
The image on this talking plate is enchanting. It depicts a young woman washing clothes in a wooden tub. Also in the tub is a scrubbing board. She is dressed simply and wears an apron and a scarf tied on her head. As she goes about her work she is talking to an older man seated on a stool. He too is dressed in simple attire. He wears a vest and an amusing hat. On his feet there are clogs. The title of the plate is ‘Balivernes Rustiques’ or ‘‘Rustic Nonsense’. The caption on the plate says, ‘Have you ever bit your ears while laughing?’
Talking plates or Assiettes Parlantes were a fashion phenomenon of the 19th century. They became highly popular from 1870 to the beginning of World War 1. Development in the production of French transfer ware provided the ability for the transfer process to replicate finely drawn images in fine detail. They had the capability to produce vast amounts of the plates within a short time frame. Producers of talking plates included Sarrguemines, Gien, Choisy le Roi to name a few. Talking plates could also be referred to as ‘narrative plates’ because they were intended to tell a story. They were pictorial and were usually accompanied by a short description. They were often humorous and the themes were varied, with subjects such as military life, hunting, manners, fables, proverbs, popular songs and ceremonial customs such as weddings. Usually made in a series of about 12 plates they depicted daily life. They were historical accounts portraying France in all its glory. Today, these talking plates provide a rich, historical and artistic insight into society of the time.
This talking plate has an aged crack on the left hand side. It has a Gien maker’s stamp on the underside. It measures 20 cms across.
The image on this talking plate is enchanting. It depicts a young woman washing clothes in a wooden tub. Also in the tub is a scrubbing board. She is dressed simply and wears an apron and a scarf tied on her head. As she goes about her work she is talking to an older man seated on a stool. He too is dressed in simple attire. He wears a vest and an amusing hat. On his feet there are clogs. The title of the plate is ‘Balivernes Rustiques’ or ‘‘Rustic Nonsense’. The caption on the plate says, ‘Have you ever bit your ears while laughing?’
Talking plates or Assiettes Parlantes were a fashion phenomenon of the 19th century. They became highly popular from 1870 to the beginning of World War 1. Development in the production of French transfer ware provided the ability for the transfer process to replicate finely drawn images in fine detail. They had the capability to produce vast amounts of the plates within a short time frame. Producers of talking plates included Sarrguemines, Gien, Choisy le Roi to name a few. Talking plates could also be referred to as ‘narrative plates’ because they were intended to tell a story. They were pictorial and were usually accompanied by a short description. They were often humorous and the themes were varied, with subjects such as military life, hunting, manners, fables, proverbs, popular songs and ceremonial customs such as weddings. Usually made in a series of about 12 plates they depicted daily life. They were historical accounts portraying France in all its glory. Today, these talking plates provide a rich, historical and artistic insight into society of the time.
This talking plate has an aged crack on the left hand side. It has a Gien maker’s stamp on the underside. It measures 20 cms across.
The image on this talking plate is enchanting. It depicts a young woman washing clothes in a wooden tub. Also in the tub is a scrubbing board. She is dressed simply and wears an apron and a scarf tied on her head. As she goes about her work she is talking to an older man seated on a stool. He too is dressed in simple attire. He wears a vest and an amusing hat. On his feet there are clogs. The title of the plate is ‘Balivernes Rustiques’ or ‘‘Rustic Nonsense’. The caption on the plate says, ‘Have you ever bit your ears while laughing?’
Talking plates or Assiettes Parlantes were a fashion phenomenon of the 19th century. They became highly popular from 1870 to the beginning of World War 1. Development in the production of French transfer ware provided the ability for the transfer process to replicate finely drawn images in fine detail. They had the capability to produce vast amounts of the plates within a short time frame. Producers of talking plates included Sarrguemines, Gien, Choisy le Roi to name a few. Talking plates could also be referred to as ‘narrative plates’ because they were intended to tell a story. They were pictorial and were usually accompanied by a short description. They were often humorous and the themes were varied, with subjects such as military life, hunting, manners, fables, proverbs, popular songs and ceremonial customs such as weddings. Usually made in a series of about 12 plates they depicted daily life. They were historical accounts portraying France in all its glory. Today, these talking plates provide a rich, historical and artistic insight into society of the time.
This talking plate has an aged crack on the left hand side. It has a Gien maker’s stamp on the underside. It measures 20 cms across.
