7 Hippolyte Boulenger "Choisy le Roi" Faience (Majolica) Plates, "Carte À Jouer" Series, c.1860s

The Encyclopedia Britannica online has this to say about faience:

“Faience, also spelled faïence or fayence, tin-glazed earthenware made in France, Germany, Spain, and Scandinavia. It is distinguished from tin-glazed earthenware made in Italy, which is called majolica (or maiolica), and that made in the Netherlands and England, which is called delft.

“The tin glaze used in faience is actually a lead glaze that has been rendered white and opaque by the addition of tin oxide. In the production process, an unglazed article is fired in a kiln and is then dipped in the tin glaze, which is allowed to dry. Designs are then painted on the glaze, which sets them off and preserves them during a second firing at high temperature. The colours used to paint designs were limited to the few that could tolerate high heat until the 18th century, when a low-fire overglaze enamel was used.”

An article from 2006 appearing in “Majolica Matters!” (then, if not now, a publication of the Majolica International Society), available online, recounts the history of the Choisy-le-Roi manufactory that rose to prominence under the leadership of Hippolyte Boulenger, and for those interested, the article includes pictures of some of the beautiful pieces made there. The company was early known as “Hautin & Boulenger”; however it is generally stated that the “H&B” hallmark on the back of each plate is for Hippolyte Boulenger, who owned the company and directed its work beginning in 1863.

Each plate is approximately 7¾” in diameter. They are in very good condition, with gentle crazing, but without chips, nicks or cracks.

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Item ID: T00001854