NEW ACQUISITION
Barbizet Wall Plate
interest in Palissy’s pottery became the
inspiration for a line of majolica wares
produced by Minton Ltd, which were
exhibited to great acclaim at the Crystal
Palace Great Exhibition of 1851 under the
name “Palissy ware.”
With its deep well, finely modeled
animals, and contrasts of colors, the wall
plate purchased by Ethel for the museum
collection is an exceptional example of its
type and was made by Victor Barbizet, one
of the most important ceramic artists of the
19th century.
Victor Barbizet, French, c. 1805-c. 1870 ; Maison Barbizet, active (Paris, France), c. 1850-1870. Wall Plate, c. 1855,
painted and tin-glazed earthenware, Gift of Ethel S. Brody, CMA 2011.2
By Brian J. Lang, Curator of Decorative Arts
This past January, I had the pleasure
of accompanying longtime museum
supporter, Ethel Brody, to New York City.
Being a native New Yorker, Ethel never
really needs a reason to return to her
hometown; however, with an invitation to
attend art galleries and the Metropolitan
Museum of Art she could hardly refuse.
In addition to the above, we attended the
Winter Antiques Show, the premier selling
exhibition of antiques in the country, and
the New York Ceramics Fair, which is one
of the leading ceramics fairs in the country.
Bernard Palissy (c. 1510-c. 1589) was
a Renaissance ceramicist of French
Huguenot origin, a hydraulics engineer,
and a craftsman, famous for having
struggled for sixteen years to imitate
Chinese porcelain. While not successful in
his quest to discover the true porcelain of
the Chinese, Palissy did develop a unique
style of ceramics—a painted and tin-glazed
earthenware, decorated with molded
figures of plants and animals, such as coiled
vipers, slinking lizards, scaly fish, and water
flora, all set amidst a naturalistic setting—
which gained widespread popularity in the
16th century and for many years thereafter.
Arriving at the Fair, we agreed to part ways
so each of us could explore the show at our
leisure. No more than ten minutes into our
adventure, Ethel came up to me, breathless
from her excitement, and says, “After ten
years of looking, I’ve found it.” “It” turns
out to be the exceptional 19th century
“Palissy ware” wall plate illustrated above.
Nearly 250 years after Palissy’s death,
Charles-Jean Avisseau, a middle-aged
French ceramicist, rediscovered the
lost secrets of Palissy’s ceramics, which
energized a revival movement lasting until
the beginning of the twentieth century.
Reproduced by a number of manufacturers
throughout Portugal, France, and England,
4
columbiamuseum.org
Victor Barbizet (c. 1805-c. 1870) was a
potter from Burgundy, who later relocated
to Paris with his son, Achille (c. 18251885). There, the two are credited with
founding the “School of Paris,” whose
potters produced wares in the manner of
Palissy. By 1873, their Maison Barbizet
atelier grew to a size of 16,000 square feet
and employed sixty artisans.
Following the death of his father, Achille
Barbizet exhibited his Palissy wares at the
Vienna World Exposition (1873), the
Fourth Annual International Exhibition
(1874) in London, and the Paris
Exposition Universelle (1878), where he
won a prestigious silver medal, besting his
contemporary rivals, Edouard Avisseau
and Thomas-Victor Sergent, who only
managed to win bronze medals.
This plate is a wonderful example of
Maison Barbizet’s output and will further
enhance the Museum’s holdings of
19th century European ceramics. More
importantly, it will be a nice complement
to the majolica-ware revolving luncheon
tray made by Minton, currently on view
in Gallery 14 and also acquired through
Ethel’s generosity.