Large blue centerpiece jardiniere in faience of Bordeaux Jules Vieillard 19th

On the underside of the bowl, the piece is signed with an impressed mark of three interlaced crescents, with “Bordeaux JV” written.

Dimensions: 28 cm x 46 cm (11.02 inches x 18.11 inches)
Height: 30 cm (11.81 inches)

Jules Vieillard in Bordeaux

In 1840, Jules Vieillard (June 8, 1813 – September 17, 1868), a native of Paris already renowned in the field of porcelain, partnered with David Johnston, who ran a large faience factory in the Bacalan district, employing over 700 workers and producing 70,000 pieces per week. David Johnston, a native of Bordeaux of English origin who would later become mayor of Bordeaux, was somewhat overwhelmed by the management of the business and was forced to sell it to his associate Jules Vieillard in February 1845.

Appreciated by Brongniart, the director of the Royal Sèvres Manufacture, the fine faience of Bordeaux won medals at various universal exhibitions in Paris and enlisted the services of Bordeaux painters and lithographers. Vieillard conducted firing tests and, in 1851, filed a patent. In 1852, Napoleon III, visiting Bordeaux, toured the Manufacture, which then employed 800 workers, awarded the Legion of Honor to Jules Vieillard, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming trade treaty between England and France. In 1854, Jules Vieillard received the gold medal at the Philomathic Exhibition and in 1855 the first-class medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris.

A very practical mind, Vieillard gradually moved away from English inspiration and created new, very colorful models with floral or oriental motifs. He invented many particularly charming models in both faience and porcelain, including table services, lamps, bowls, clocks, candlesticks, holy water fonts, vases, bottles, salt shakers, torches, and crucifixes. A wonderful collection of extreme finesse and great originality.

In 1859, the report of the 10th Philomathic Exhibition in Bordeaux mentioned that “Jules Vieillard heads one of the finest establishments that France can oppose to English manufacturers.” By 1866, the factory, which had added a new glassmaking activity, employed more than 1,000 people and was among the largest in France. Jules Vieillard died on September 17, 1868, and his two sons, Albert and Charles, initially took over with dignity. The Manufacture surpassed 1,400 workers and increased its notoriety with the exterior decoration of monuments and fountains through architectural ceramics. In 1882, the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, to encourage local industry, commissioned a 120-piece table service bearing the Bordeaux coat of arms, a magnificent service still in use today. A commission, including Messrs. Daniel Guestier, Brunet, and Paul Duvergier, later replaced by Mr. Balaresque, was appointed to establish the composition of the service. The service cost 10,000 Francs and was paid in two annuities.

Following a lawsuit between the Vieillard brothers and the Italian artist Amédée de Caranza, who worked for them, Caranza’s departure coincided with the signing of a very detrimental trade treaty. The economic and social situation deteriorated, strikes occurred, and a hundred workers were dismissed. After the respective deaths of the Vieillard brothers in 1893 and 1895, the factory entered a consortium but quickly disappeared due to a lack of effective leadership. On August 20, 1895, there was no longer a faience factory in Bordeaux. David Johnston and then Jules Vieillard and sons remain among the great names in Bordeaux faience, with collectors still seeking rare pieces.