Style Neo-Renaissance / Ref.12478

VILLEROY & BOCH -Important polychrome earthenware wall fountain circa 1890

This earthenware fountain shows an important Neo-Renaissance decor. It was made at the end of the 19th century by the German manufactory Villeroy & Boch as shows the the print behind the earthenware tile.

Two pilasters adorn with lion faces in the upper part andlion feet on the lower part are holding a curved arch on which is falling on each sides a crown of bay leaves. This architectural decor is toped by three vases garnished with a bunch of flowers. The fountain is placed on the middle of the architecture and on the background made of earthenware tiles with flowers motif. The fountain is composed of a shell basin which supports a vase adorned with a man's face which could be Bacchus because of the grapes' presence above the head. His mouth is opened and allows the water to flow on the basin. The vase handles are shapedas rolled snakes. The vase is toped by a shell. The fountain's foot is adorned with two big scrolls on each sides and on the center a dolphin which mouth also allows the water to flow on a round basin. The fountain is put on a scagliola slab imitating porphyry, surrounded by white earthenware paving stone.

The Villeroy & Boch manufactory was founded in 1748 by François Boch who starts the fabrication of ceramic tableware with his three sons. Almost a hundred years after, in 1836, a merger contract is signed with a rival ceramic factory, owned by Nicolas Villeroy ; leading to the creation of the Villeroy & Boch company. The success is huge in the eyes of the consumers and the official authorities. During the first Commercial Exhibition in Berlin in 1822, the Boch obtain the gold medal. This exhibition will be followed by a lot of national and international others. Indeed, the factory participates in numerous International Exhibitions like the one of London in 1851, the one of Philadelphia in 1876, of Paris in 1878 and 1900, Chicago in 1893, Saint-Petersburg in 1901 or Saint-Louis in 1904. The manufactory is also famous for the fabrication in Mettlach of earthenware tiles for floors and walls with an extravagant esthetic. With the development of hygienist theories in the second half of the 19th century, Villeroy & Boch develops from the 1880's a production of sanitary products. It's in the Dresden factory that are produced fountains, baths and earthenware basins with affordable prices for everyone, announcing the factory speciality.

Our fountain is part of rare examples that we know today about the manufactory production of sanitary products from the end of the XIXe century. An other example of a wall fountain with an Art Nouveau decor is kept in the Hamburg Museum. Another with a decor that reminds those from the Renaissance is in a dairy shop in Dresden, the whole decoration was made by the earthenware factory Villeroy & Boch. Nevertheless, our fountain is clearly an exceptional example because of its important dimensions and the wealthiness of its Neo-Renaissance decor which lets think of the importance of the person who order edit in the 1890’s.