20. French Nevers 18th – Faience Plate with Horse Motif

Faience plate from Nevers (second half of the 18th c.). Faience was introduced in France in the 16th Century by migrant Italian potters and Nevers was the leading French centre for ceramic production. The city of Nevers employed many Italian artists, who brought with them the narrative styles of Italian maiolica. These painters also combined elements from French, Chinese and Middle Eastern designs to create a distinctive style of decoration, where art played the first role. The production of ceramics in Nevers flourished in the 18th century, when ordinary items for common use were manufactured in large quantities in the eleven factories that were in active operation during the French Revolution period.