In 1976 Taylor and I got married. We had a rather casual wedding, with no guests, and no gift registry. However, my best friend's mother, Mrs Finn, gave us a charming faience casserole dish.
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| The beginning. |
Being an unconventional bride, I found this pottery to be utterly charming. I started looking for information about it and learned that it was made by the HenRiot company in Quimper, France. This company has been making faience (pottery) since 1690. It was just starting to appear on the shelves in the U.S.in the 70s and, although it was hard to find, I was able to buy it for the next 30 years, or so. My mother also found the pottery to be charming and she bought me a large platter to match Mrs. Finn's casserole.
Before I knew it, I became a "collector." I bought Quimper (pronounced 'Cam-pear') in retail specialty stores, in antique stores, at flea markets, and friends gave it to me as gifts. Over the years, I gathered enough dishes to have a small Thanksgiving gathering, and enough unusual pieces to make me smile. About 10 years ago, HenRiot quit importing to the U.S. and it was even harder to buy the dishes. However, I don't really need any more. I have plenty. Now, part of the thrill is finding it in an antique shop.
When we determined to travel to the U.K. this year, and to branch out to Normandy, we asked ourselves, "Why not go to Brittany and visit Quimper?" Brittany, after all, is next door to Normandy. And, that is why we came to Quimper.
Welcome to the HenRiot Quimper factory in Quimper, France!
We toured the factory. I wasn't comfortable taking pictures in the factory, but I won't forget it. The factory is in a new "old" building. The original building is now a museum. The factory is large, well lit and clean. The company employees 26 craftspeople and they sell 130,000 pieces per year. Each item is created by a single person, start to finish and signed by the individual artist. We saw how the various pieces are turned on a wheel and stamped out of clay or poured into a mold. Each piece is then dipped into a glaze and painstakingly painted. The results are glorious.
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| This was one of the few unglazed pieces. |
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| I've never seen so much Quimper available at one location. |
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| I have a vase with these Breton ladies that I bought in Connecticut. |
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| Some of the pieces are very modern. |
The next day we went to the museum, where we saw lots of unusual pieces from the past and learned about the history of the company and the various artists who have worked there over the years.
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| This extravaganza is about 5 feet tall. |
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| Many pieces have to do with marriage, and life in the country. |
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| Four seasons. |
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| I love the pastel coloring on this charming girl. She looked so familiar to me. |
When we got home, I looked through my own collection of Quimper, and there she was - my girl. My girl belonged to my Auntie Thelma. I recall that Thelma always had her on the fireplace mantel. When she died my cousin Maren gave me custody of the girl. She doesn't have the typical HenRiot signature on the bottom, but she sure looks like Quimper, doesn't she?
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| Is she, or isn't she? |
Mrs. Finn started this story in 1976. Without her we would have never come to this part of the world. This is also a little bit of the the story HenRiot Quimper. However, there's more to the town of Quimper than faience. Part II to come.
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