BRIC-A -BRAC

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 15 July 1905, Page 4

BRIC-A -BRAC

SPECIMENS OF NEVERS WARE.

ALTHOUGH several attempts had from time to time been made in Fra nee to establish the art of making a ware similar to Italian majolica, it was not until the begin ning of the seventeenth century that the manufacture? of painted faience was com m< n<*c<l in good earnest under the patron age of the Duke Louis do Gonzaga. The seventeenth century witnessed the brilliant success of the Duke’s scheme; fai-

ence making became the staple industry of the town of Nevers, and the place was noted for the production of beautiful pieces of pottery worthy to adorn tii»“ homes of the great and wealthy. Nevers has always been famous for the sand employed in tin* manufacture of pottery, and not only supplied the local potters, but was the principal source from which the factories of Lyons. Nantes, Rouen. Sin cony, and Lille obtained their sand. The first pieces of Novers ware were made about the year 1560. by an Italian named Scipion Gambin. a native of Faenza. He did not carry on the work for long, and there are comparatively few specimens extant which belong to this period. The decorations consist of paintings representing mythological or Biblical incidents, and were copied from contemporary engravings. The Plateau shown in Fig. 1. ami the Pilgrim's Bottle in Fig. 2, are examples of his style* of decoration. The pieces of this period, in shape, manufacture, and decoration, are very similar to the majolicas of Faenza and I rhino, when these potteries were declining, but the painting is inferior owing to the absence of the special glaze employed by the Italians to impart add tional brillance to their colours. I his ware has often been assigned to the Italian potteries, but after a little study several points of (dill’ercnce bdtweeii Nevers ware and Italian majolica will be apparent. On Nevers ware the figures are always nainhd yellow on a blue ground, whereas

on Italian majolica the ground is generally yellow and the figures blue. In tin l case of Nevers ware, too, the colours are not so intense, and the red or metallic lustre of the Italians was never employed, while the outlines are always in manganese violet and never in black or purple. The clay and glaze are particularly hard, the ware having been fired at a considerably higher temperature than was possible in the case of the majouca of Faenza and Savona.

Ambassador). Here is a little adventure of which he was the hero when he was journeying in Hertfordshire last summer. The chauffeur was driving. Mi - Choate was sitting beside him, and Mrs Choate occupied a seat in the tonneau. I forget the name of the place to which the party was going, but they lost their bearings. No sign posts were visible. The only indication of life was a disreputable-looking tramp sitting by the roadside some distance off. apparently oblivious to everything and everybody, as is the manner of his fraternity. “Let’s ask the tramp,’’ suggested Mr Choate to the driver; “perhaps he’ll know the way.” “I don’t think so,” replied the latter. “Tramps in the country invariably keep to the main roads and only know the way from one union to another.” “Anyway, we’ll ask him,” said Mr Choate. The car pulled up. “Can you tell me the best road to , my man?” said Mr Choate. “Yus!” said" the tramp; “I’m going that way myself.” The

a merry twinkle in his eye: “Getright alongside Mrs Choate.” Mrs Choate, probably like the immortal parrot, thought a great deal, but she gathered her skirts together and made room for the tramp in the tonneau, where he lolled in luxurious ease until he was deposited at his destination.