Antique French Armonial Double Handled Faience Flask, 19th Century

A French four-handled tin-glazed earthenware flask with hand-painted blue and green scrolling flowers, vines and seated winged figures and a gilded upper rim. Historically, these decorations, known as 'grotesques', originated from the painted fantasies that covered the walls and ceilings of ancient Rome's palaces.

The original of this flack was made by Masseot Abaquesne (c. 1500-1564). He was a faience manufacturer of Rouen, France between 1535 and 1557. He had known as the maker of the remarkable paving in the Chateau de Ecouen, which has been attributed both to Luca della Robbia and Palissy. Also he made a large number of pharmacy jars. Rouen's faience industry, considered to be the most important and oldest ceramics centre in France, got its start in the 16th century with Masseot Abaquesne, a native of Cherbourg and France's first grand-maitre faïencier. Masseot Abaquesne was probably introduced to earthenware by the sculptor and architect Girolamo della Robbia, son of the famous Florentine ceramist of 1527-1528, during their collaboration on the construction of the now-destroyed Château de Madrid (on the site of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris), which was built on the orders of Francis I. Masseot Abaquesne worked for the great names of the time, in particular for the French Constable Anne de Montmorency, a great lover of ceramics, who commissioned several series of panels and pavements from him for his Château d'Ecouen (1542), depicting historiated scenes, arabesque motifs, emblems and coats of arms colored blue, yellow, green and violet. By some sources, such a flask belonged to the Abbot of Lisieux, c. 1545. One piece of such flask with grotesque decoration on a white background is presented in the Museum of Serves Ceramics in Paris.

Our product is made in the style of this flask. It is a copy made in the 19th century at the highest level and is itself a collector's item.

Dimensions :

Height 31cm,width 22cm,depth 20cm.Weight 2060 grams

The vase is in splendid antique condition.

Please study the accompanying photographs carefully as they form an integral part of this description. The item will be shipped with full tracking and insurance. It is important to note that shipping costs include labour, packaging and postage.