French antique asparagus plates in majolica

A rare group 9 different majolica antique french asparagus plates. ++this is an exceptional opportunity to acquire an 'instant collection' of these famous and highly collectible french majolica asparagus plates++ I really love these fancy (dare I say 'gaudy') 'majolica' ('barbotine' is the word in french) plates intended for serving asparagus...and they often seen for artichokes and oysters as well. After some years of of being thought terribly 'old-fashioned', majolica has made a big comeback and is now highly collectible. The french take the serving of food very seriously so that there is a ritual around many different dishes. They especially love fresh asparagus which appears so briefly in early spring...and they are mad for artichokes. They make rather a fuss over serving both these vegetables so that virtually every french home once had a set of special plates for serving them. In the late 1800s this type of heavily embossed and colorful plates became popular for serving these vegetables...or as decoration on the dining room wall. Here we present a rare group of 9 plates...all different and all in excellent antique condition. We found no cracks or chips. Some of these plates do have some crazing of the glaze or slight discoloration which is entirely normal for their age. It is possible that you may find some other miniscule bit of wear or a 'mite-bite' we missed but we assure you that we have checked each plate carefully. Some of these plates are quite rare and others easier to source, but a group like this is truly exceptional. These plates measure approx. 9 to 10 inches in diameter. All these plates come from famous french makers including salins, longchamp, creil et montereau, longwy and others. Some have a mark, others do not but all appear and are identified in the definitive book on french asparagus barbotine by m. Bottero. This group of antique french asparagus plates would make a very sophisticated and decorative french accent.

Ref. : 65VHU7XS