Description Nevers Faience plate dating to the 18th century. The plate features a hot air balloon, a sun, a landscape and the phrase, 'a l'immortalite.' Dimensions: 1 1/8 inches tall X 9 3/4 inches diameter; 2.9 cm tall X 24.8 cm diameter. All measurements are approximate.
Condition Report Plate is free of cracks, breaks, or repairs. The edge and back shows scattered frit chipping and glaze skips. Plate shows stilt marks on edge and chips to face of sun and on back, largest 3/8 inches long X 1/8 inches wide. Scattered glaze pops overall.
Provenance From a multi-generational French-American family collection.
Notes Historical note: This polychrome plate was made in Nevers, France in the 18th century to commemorate the first manned hot air balloon flight at Versailles in 1783. This first flight was witnessed by Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. Illustrated in the well of the plate are the Mongolfiere brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Ettienne, standing in the basket of the hot air balloon. On either side of the balloon are the words 'a l'immortalite' or 'to immortality'. Above the balloon is a shining sun, possibly symbolic of the Sun King Louis XIV, and below the balloon is a pastoral landscape and the date 1789. This plate was manufactured due to the continued interest in the 1783 landmark flight, which established France as a center of innovation. This type of decoration is a subsection of 'faience parlante' referred to as 'faience patriotique,' which includes patriotic themes and events that inspire national pride and promote the monarchy. The date inscribed on this plate, 1789, was also the first year of the French Revolution.