As efforts of decorative design the encrusted wares of Palissy cannot be placed in a high rank of decorative art, but the art of France would be considerably poorer without the genius of Palissy, an artist of whom any nation might be justly proud.
Nevers, Rouen, and Moustiers Wares.
We have mentioned before that some maiolica artists and workmen came from Italy in the sixteenth century to Nevers and Lyons and there set up potteries. One of these artists, named Scipio Gambin, worked at Nevers, under the patronage of the Duc de Nivernais.
Fig. 51.—Pilgrim’s Bottle, Nevers Ware. (S.K.M.)
The maiolica productions at Nevers were in imitation of the Urbino, Castel-Durante, and Faenza wares, but the colours were inferior, probably owing to the poorer glaze used by the French potters. The subjects of the decoration were at first similar to the “istoriati” decoration of the Urbino ware, and were compositions from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” (Fig. 51) or from the Bible. Later on the potters of Nevers imitated the shapes of Oriental pottery with French decorations (Fig. 52).
Fig. 52.—Vase, Nevers Ware.
In 1608 two Italians—the brothers Conrade—came from Genoa to Nevers, and were probably the successors of Gambin: the ware made by them was decorated with a mixture of Chinese and Italian ornament, and the colouring was blue, manganese, brown, and white.
In 1632 a Frenchman named Pierre Custode and his sons established a pottery at the sign of “The Ostrich” at Nevers. To them is ascribed the beautiful Persian blue-coloured pottery decorated with naturalistic flowers and birds in solid white with yellow heightenings, the shape and decoration being Chinese in character. The blue glaze peculiar to Nevers pottery of this period is very fine, and has been imitated by French and foreign potters, but without success.