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Wasmule Ceramic Bowl
€90Bid from €75
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Private sellerHoegaarden, BelgiumOn Whoppah since April 2022 • 14 sales
Product description
Art Deco through and through.
Handmade, hand-painted, the color patina, the finish…
But the most beautiful thing about this small bowl is the color palette.
Dimensions: 20 x 29 cm – 3 cm high
The Faience Factory of ël.
In 1840, the 'Faïencerie de Wasmuël' was founded by Isodore Paulus 1798-1852 (son of Mathieu Joseph Paulus 1768-1830, who became the former director of the Faïencerie de Nimy in 1798). Isodore himself followed in his father's footsteps and became the director of the French earthenware factory of Onnaing in 1833.
In this small, newly established Wasmuël factory, mainly white glazed tin-containing earthenware was produced for household and sanitary use. In 1850, Paulus began experimenting with majolica glazes and solid-colored earthenware... soon thereafter, these decorative wares were incorporated into the production line.
After his death in 1852, his wife, Joséphine Renau, succeeded him as manager; she modernized production by purchasing a steam engine and further expanded the factory. For a quarter of a century, the business ran excellently... but in the late 1870s, it entered a downward spiral as a result of the industrialization crisis.
In 1878, the earthenware industry in Europe collapsed completely.
Around 1878, Auguste Mouzin (1833–1899) (son of Jean-Pierre Mouzin, then director of the Nimy faience factory) and originally from Nimy, took over the management of this small factory. He himself had already established a faience factory in Tergnier (France). He systematically purchased surrounding land and erected new buildings there... the site
was even connected to the railway network.
With seven large bottle kilns and an area of 4 hectares, AMC was at that time one of the most important Belgian faience factories. It employed 200 workers.
Surrounded by qualified personnel such as François Dubois, Henri Mahieu, Emile Lombart, Arthur Ollinger, E Petit, Jean-Baptiste Tastenoe, Frédéric Thurner, Désiré Thon, and others... who, moreover, regularly switched jobs, the business expanded rapidly.
During that period, the factory also sought to gain a reputation abroad by participating in various exhibitions.
In 1893, France increased its import taxes on luxury goods, which severely hampered the export of decorative ceramic objects from Belgium. They switched to the production of household earthenware, toilet sets, and mantelpiece sets with clocks. After the death of Auguste Mouzin, who took office as mayor of Wasmuël in 1890 and died in 1899, Eugène Meyer (1853–1907), who was already working closely with August at the time, took over his father-in-law's flourishing business and continued on the newly established path. The factory was granted the status of a limited liability company.
His son Henry (1885–1967) succeeded his father as director in 1907 following the latter's premature death. During those forty-three years, he witnessed various stylistic transitions: eclecticism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus, and the like. The decoration of objects evolved from traditional handwork to transfer, spray, and decalcomania techniques. The production of large ceramic decorative objects and ornaments came to an end at the start of the First World War. After the Great War, fashion changed drastically; everyday mass-produced items were increasingly manufactured, with Art Deco-style cabinet sets and crackle-lace animal figures as notable exceptions. Participation in the 1937 Paris World's Fair was a great success... Henry became a member of the 'Légion d’Honneur'.
During the Second World War, production was once again reduced to the manufacture of domestic earthenware... unfortunately, there was no longer any place for luxury pottery.
Due to a lack of raw materials and the high cost of living, the factory, like many of its peers, faced major problems after the war.
Operations ceased in 1951 and the factory was closed.
Specifications
ConditionExcellentColorsOrangeMaterialCeramicNumber of items1StyleVintageHeight3 cmWidth29 cmDepth20 cm
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Seller information
About this seller
Private sellerHoegaarden, BelgiumOn Whoppah since April 2022 • 14 sales