19th Century French Ceramic Vase Signed by Louis Fourmaintraux

Description

I have a real weakness for all things fancy and ornate, and this delightful French handpainted vase is no exception. … more I have a real weakness for all things fancy and ornate, and this delightful French handpainted vase is no exception. This piece dates to the late 19th Century and is the creation of Louis Fourmaintraux whose family was involved in producing ceramics for a number of generations in Desvres. Unlike heavier French porcelain, these ceramic pieces are very delicate and not as strong, making it difficult to find them in good condition. The enamel, known as émail in French, has a tendency to flake off in places. There is a small amount of enamel missing on this vase, as shown in picture 6, but it's superficial. If you look inside the vase, you will see some age cracks in the glaze. All of these imperfections show us that this piece is a genuine antique that was used and cherished over the years. For someone expecting a flawless piece, this vase is certainly not the one. The entire exterior of the vase has ridges running from top to bottom, and the painting was done on top of them. The vase is signed on the bottom with the initials LF, which stand for Louis Fourmaintraux. I find it baffling that French ceramics aren't as well known here in the US as French porcelain, like Sèvres, is. For that reason, I'm delighted to be able to offer you some fine examples here on Chairish!

This is a large vase, measuring 10 1/2" (26.7 cm) tall. The top flares out gracefully and is 5 7/8" (15 cm) from point to point. The base measures 4 1/2" (11.5 cm) from point to point.
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