Here is a very attractive pair of antique deep plates from the Sarreguemines factory, bearing the 'Varsac' decor stamp on the reverse. The design immediately immerses us in the graphic world of the interwar period. On ivory faience, slightly patinated by time, Sarreguemines plays here with a particularly elegant palette of Bordeaux red and old rose, crafted in a gradient. The rim is punctuated by a succession of large geometric scallops highlighted in white. At the center appears a bouquet of flowers and foliage, entirely stylized, almost constructed like a stencil pattern. This simplification of forms, the stark contrast of colors, and the geometrization of the border perfectly place Varsac within the Art Deco aesthetic of the 1920s-1930s. This is precisely what makes these plates interesting today. They are not simply antique tableware. They bear witness to a period when major French faience factories adapted the new decorative vocabulary that emerged after the First World War to tableware, gradually abandoning the naturalistic compositions of the 19th century in favor of more modern and stylized forms. The Sarreguemines factory, of course, holds a major place in this history. Founded at the end of the 18th century, it became one of the great names in French ceramics, producing table services for nearly two centuries, some of whose designs are now sought after for their typical character of an era. The two plates exhibit a beautiful decorative presence and still-luminous glaze. The very fine crazing visible in the enamel contributes to the natural patina of this antique faience. One plate has a small, pinpoint chip on the rim, which is clearly photographed. It remains discreet in the context of the piece and does not detract from the harmony of the pair. Diameter approximately 23 cm.
Additional details:
- Brand: Sarreguemines
- Material: faïence
- Colour: Bordeaux
- Colour: vieux rose
- Colour: ivoire
- Period: 1920s-1930s