Hello.We miss you but needed some time away. Our shop is open & you may place orders, but they will not be shipped till May 27th. Thank you for understanding.
The pottery firm of Saint-Jean de Bretagne {Bretagne is the French name for Brittany} made decorative earthenware popular after World War II. This charming pin dish---or ring dish---was created and hand painted by them in the 1950's.
The pure white tin-glazed faience dish is inscribed in the center in blue script: 'Une belle-mère, un percepteur, lous des malheurs...' Translated to English, this bit of humor reads: 'A mother-in-law, a tax collector, full of misfortunes.' The writing is encircled by a row of cobalt blue triangles and dots, which are then surrounded by interlacing cobalt blue loops. The scalloped edges are painted the same blue. Bretagne is only a little over an hour from Quimper; these designs are reminiscent of those on Art Deco Quimper pottery of the 1920's-1930's.
The dish is signed in black script on the bottom: St Jean de Bretagne Decor Main {completely hand painted} 1003 {stock number} and MJB {artist's initials}. Later pieces were marked on the bottom with a black ink stamp.
Measuring 6 inches across from point to point on the edges, it's 1 1/2 inches high and weighs a mere 7 ounces. In excellent condition, the dish has one small oval chip on the foot (shown) but no cracks or stains. It's a perfect addition to a French pottery collection and works well with other blue and white pottery. Makes a great ring dish too!
⁂ Due to lighting, some photos show the dish darker than others. It is definitely pure white.
