a sample of a Faience from Moustiers
The first potters in Moustiers were monks. The legend says that a monk from Faenza in Italy brought the secret technique of producing the white enamel with him. The term faïencier appeared in Moustier's historical archives first in 1679. The refinement of ceramics from a utilitarian item to fine tableware gave rise to a new type of artisans. The nobility's fascination with the blue and white glazes and beautiful designs created strong demand for faïence. The town of Moustiers became the center for design and production of faïences. The best known faïencer from this time was Pierre Clérissy who worked in Moustiers. His brother Joseph headed the St. Jean du Désert factory in Marseille. The creative and ornate style of the faïence from Moustiers was the most coveted ceramics for more than 200 years. Other designers developed their own style variations, such as Joseph Olérys's factory in the early 18th century. He produced the first polychromatic (multi-colored) faïences, baked over an open fire and using the dipping and enamel processes still en vogue today. During this time the famous Moustiers figures, the "Grotesques" were created, some of Moustier's best known decorative items. In the mid 18th century the brothers Jean Baptiste and Louis Ferrat made vivid, bright colors popular by refining the manufacturing process for faïences further.
The popularity of the "Moustiers", as the faïence from Moustiers was called, declined in the 19th century as inexpensive china made in England swamped the French market and by 1873 the last faïencier closed shop. Marcel Provence (1892-1951), the Provençal historian and leader of the Félibrige, the Provençal movement founded by Frederic Mistral, was instrumental in reviving the faïence industry in Moustiers in the 1920s. Today there are 20 ateliers in Moustiers designing faithful replications and new creations, most of which are produced in workshops outside Moustiers.
a sample of a Faience from Moustiers
The first potters in Moustiers were monks. The legend says that a monk from Faenza in Italy brought the secret technique of producing the white enamel with him. The term faïencier appeared in Moustier's historical archives first in 1679. The refinement of ceramics from a utilitarian item to fine tableware gave rise to a new type of artisans. The nobility's fascination with the blue and white glazes and beautiful designs created strong demand for faïence. The town of Moustiers became the center for design and production of faïences. The best known faïencer from this time was Pierre Clérissy who worked in Moustiers. His brother Joseph headed the St. Jean du Désert factory in Marseille. The creative and ornate style of the faïence from Moustiers was the most coveted ceramics for more than 200 years. Other designers developed their own style variations, such as Joseph Olérys's factory in the early 18th century. He produced the first polychromatic (multi-colored) faïences, baked over an open fire and using the dipping and enamel processes still en vogue today. During this time the famous Moustiers figures, the "Grotesques" were created, some of Moustier's best known decorative items. In the mid 18th century the brothers Jean Baptiste and Louis Ferrat made vivid, bright colors popular by refining the manufacturing process for faïences further.
The popularity of the "Moustiers", as the faïence from Moustiers was called, declined in the 19th century as inexpensive china made in England swamped the French market and by 1873 the last faïencier closed shop. Marcel Provence (1892-1951), the Provençal historian and leader of the Félibrige, the Provençal movement founded by Frederic Mistral, was instrumental in reviving the faïence industry in Moustiers in the 1920s. Today there are 20 ateliers in Moustiers designing faithful replications and new creations, most of which are produced in workshops outside Moustiers.