Vintage dessert plate in Gien ceramic – peony design

Vintage dessert plate in fine earthenware, featuring a remarkably generous polychrome floral decoration. The central motif showcases fully bloomed peonies with finely detailed petals—rendered in a rich and deep palette blending burgundy, golden ochre, cobalt blue, and green—supported by gnarled branches with multicoloured foliage, drawing resolutely from Eastern inspiration. The scalloped border, highlighted with a russet trim and a band of swirling blue scrolls, elegantly frames the scene with balance. This lush decoration, fully expressing the influence of the Chinese and Japanese ceramics so dear to the Gien factory, attests to the exceptional mastery of its painters in rendering floral materials and chromatic richness. This earthenware factory was founded in 1821 in Loiret by the English entrepreneur Thomas Hulm. Located in the former buildings of a royal convent, it quickly established itself as one of the most prestigious fine earthenware manufacturers in France. Renowned for the richness of its hand-painted decorations, fired at high temperatures to ensure durability, it draws inspiration from Eastern, Renaissance, and French decorative arts, and among its most famous collections are floral, hunting, and historical decorations. The reverse bears the authentic mark: Gien France — Guaranteed unalterable decoration — Fired at 1150° — Hand-painted. A plate of character, as beautiful hung on the wall as it is used at the table. D 22 cm