Large Jean Pouyat Limoges JPL Studios Vase Hand Painted Roses Artist Signed
Product Description And Additional Pictures
We are offering a stunning example of the high artistry synonymous with early 20th century hand-painted, vintage, Limoges, France porcelain! Our beautiful rose filled neck-amphora vase bears the Jean Pouyat Factory underglaze mark 5 (circa 1891- 1932), and the signature of a factory artist by the name of 'Leona'. Now, this signature is interesting, as some months ago we sold a cider pitcher painted with the same artistry and in much the same style. But the signature on that piece appeared to be 'Leony'. Perhaps we were mistaken, and it was Leona. Or perhaps the signatures on both pieces are a tad bit illegible and this is really the signature of 'Leon', who was a well known French porcelain artist of the early 20th century, and now has examples of his work featured in all reference books on Limoges. Leon is best noted for his execution of roses. Coincidence, or not?
Our vintage porcelain Jean Pouyat Limoges vase stands 8" tall and has a hefty circumference of 23" at its widest point. The background is painted in shades of leafy green and evening sky blue near the neck, with the bottom fading to a light creamy butterscotch. The splash of rich blue near the top of the vase imparts a sense of open sky from deep within a garden. Against this back drop, the Pouyat Studio artist has painted huge multi-layered pink and red roses with such skill that they appear three-dimensional. Errant pink roses on long stems curl around to decorate the reverse side of the vintage porcelain vase, while skillfully painted 'shadow leaves' create a sense of great depth, making you feel as if you are in the midst of a huge garden. Be careful, don't get lost!
This vibrant Jean Pouyat Limoges vase is in excellent condition with minor wear to the gilding on the rim and a couple of very small glaze pops which are completely covered by glaze. We also found a couple of small white specks on one of the large dark roses, and on one area of the green background, but this is a typical separation action of the glazes during the firing process. In our opinion, nothing we have mentioned affects the display quality of this amazing vintage French porcelain rose vase. We simply make note for accuracy and full disclosure. In our opinion, the condition of this beautiful hand-painted vase is excellent and free from damage.
BRIEF HISTORY: The Pouyat family had a long history in pottery and porcelain. Pierre Pouyat established a faience manufacturing company at Saint-Yrieix around 1760. His son, Francois Pouyat (1752 - 1838) also had an interest in the pottery business as he owned clay deposits and clay works in the Haute-Vienne region. From 1795 to 1800, Francois became a partner with Laurentius Russinger in Manufacture de la Courtille, a hard paste manufaturing business at the Locre factory in Paris. In 1800, Francois emerged as the sole owner of La Courtille, and his sons, Leonard and Jean-Baptiste joined him in operating the factory. In 1816, the two Pouyat brothers formed a partnership with the owner of a factory in Fours to produce porcelain for decoration in Paris. They bought the factory in 1820, and Leonard Pouyat directed operations until his death 1845. The Fours factory continued in production until 1865.
The Locre factory (in Paris) was sold in 1823, but Jean-Baptiste Pouyat remained in Paris for a time as head of sales. However, Pére Francois Pouyat was not yet finished in the porcelain business: he opened a small factory in Limoges in 1832, and then in 1835 he bought a clayworks and porcelain workshop established in Saint-Leonard, near Limoges. Jean-Baptiste joined his father at this operation and in 1840 succeeded him as head of operations. Jean-Baptiste enlarged the Limoges factory about 1844, when it employed 127 workers. This factory made porcelain of exceptional whiteness and even texture; the pieces decorated at the factory were renowned for their artistry and elegance. P. Comolera, a modeller, provided designs for Pouyat for over 20 years. Jean Baptiste Pouyat was succeeded by his sons Emile (1806-92), Louis (b 1809) and Leonard-Eugene (1817-76). Emil trained at the Locre factory (Paris) and was head of the Limoges factory from 1849 to 1883. W. Guerin bought the Pouyat Limoges factory in 1911.
