Drawing on Japan
Ceramics designed by the artist Félix Bracquemond pioneered the use of motifs drawn from Japanese art in 19th-century French decorative arts. Larry Simms publishes here two extraordinary overlooked porcelain services by Bracquemond that add greatly to our understanding of his career.
Larry Simms, Monday, 25th August 2008
18 Tarif des porcelaines et des faïences de Haviland & Co, op. cit., p. 20. The catalogue refers to the Fleurs et oiseaux japonais décor as ‘decor fleurs et oiseaux jetes.’
19 Because Bracquemond’s etchings for this service are two dimensional, examining the images and their arrangement on relatively flat table plates rather than on more three-dimensional serving pieces most readily shows the similarities and differences to both the Service Rousseau and the Service figures et accessories japonais.
20 Additionally, a pitcher from this service with a cream coloured ground is in a private collection.
21 In the Tarif des porcelaines et des faience de Haviland & Co, op. cit., one page of illustrations, p. 20, shows eight pieces from a ‘service de table unis’ with ‘decor fleurs et oiseaux jetes’ which are transfer designs from Bracquemond’s seven etchings Fleurs et oiseaux japonais.
22 Centennial Photograph Company, number 1605, titled ‘haviland & co of limoges / dinner sets porcelain “saxon and lily’’’, silver albumen print, 21 x 26 cm. The Free Public Library of Philadelphia, Print and Picture Collection, CEDC No. c021605.
23 Invoice of Porcelains in Philadelphia Exhibition Imported by Haviland & Co., 1876. This invoice lists ‘Set composed of Decor jetés japonais on Water leaf,’ number 227, which included 1 soup tureen, 2 covered dishes, 2 sauce tureens, 2 sauce boats, 8 plates 8 ½ inches, 8 plates 9 inches, 1 fish dish, 4 coffee cups and saucers, 4 tea cups and saucers, 8 after dinner coffee cups and saucers. This set, invoice no. 227, is referred to as ‘Decor jetés japonais’ and is the Service fleurs et oiseaux jetés. Bracquemond’s other Japonisme set, Service parisien, is invoice no. 228 and clearly titled ‘Sujets parisien Bracquemond’ in that invoice. This would indicate that the invoice no. 208, ‘Sujets japonais,’ and invoice no. 216, ‘Set…Japanese,’ having a different title on the invoice than the other two sets, is a third Japoniste service in the Haviland and Company booth at the Centennial Exhibition, most likely Bracquemond’s Service figures et accessoires japonais.
24 The standing cranes and the larger flying bird are from etching Beraldi 666. The hanging flowering branch is from etching Beraldi 669. The three small flying birds are from etching Beraldi 670.
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