Nevers Faience Blue & White Tondino, 17th century

An exceptional mid 17th-century French faience tondino from Nevers, decorated with a pastoral scene in blue and white. Taking the entire plate, its decor features two characters, a man in armour with a cape and a kneeling woman with a veil, surrounded by a tree and bushes alongside a town with buildings on the top. This pastoral scene with elements of courtly love is exquisitely rendered in spontaneous brushstrokes with expressive gestures that echo flowing draperies and lively greenery. It has a shallow shape with a large rim and the underside is decorated as well with foliage, while the foot features two holes.

Tondinos were a shape popular in 16th-century Italy with a large rim to support an elaborate decoration. As Italian potters travelled to France, Nevers perfected detailed historical and mythological scenes on large and elaborate plates, while also taking inspiration from Delft blue and white. From the 17th century and under the influence of pastoral novels such as L’Astrée, Nevers developed the distinctive aesthetic they became renowned for, made of idyllic country scenes married with painterly yet expert brushstrokes. Intended for decorative use in noble households, they make for Nevers finest period, of which this plate is an exceptional example.