Technical Process

To help you discover more about the sophisticated process of creating the high-fire Quimper Faïence, here are the main steps involved in the production of these exclusively hand designed and hand painted collectibles.

Step 1: Biscuit

Faïence is composed of clay, talc, limestone and silica, which are mixed with water. The faïence is then worked into different shapes which have to be air-dried before going into the electric kiln at a temperature of 1050 oC or 1920 o F. Following the first firing, the product is very strong and is called «biscuit».

Step 2: Glaze

The resulting « biscuit» is then dipped into a mix of glaze, water and tin oxide. The glaze has to be wiped away from the bottom of the wares. Missing this step would mean that the glaze would stick at the prop and the pieces would be destroyed. Two types of glazing techniques can be used, over glaze or under glaze. 

Step 3: Decoration

The uniqueness of the true faïence from Quimper is in the way the pieces are decorated; painted entirely by freehand brushstroke or «à la touche» in French.  There is no room for decals and stencils. Since each piece is entirely handcrafted, no two pieces are the same.

Step 4: Firing

The pieces are then, ready for the second firing at a temperature of 940 oC (1720 o F).  The whole process, including cooling, lasts 15 hours. When the temperature reaches 190 o C, the doors of the oven can be opened and it is amazing as you can see the colors take their final hue because of the contact with oxygen. For instance, a bright blue color is light purple before firing.

The picture of the plate above shows you the different steps mentioned above. The lower left quadrant shows the biscuit mould. Going up on the left, the next quadrant has been dipped in an opaque tin glaze and air-dried. A poncif* guideline can be seen which will disappear after firing. The upper right illustrates the applied decorative glazes and the lower right is the finished product after the second firing.

 

* The painting of intricate decors may require the use of a guideline to keep the same proportions from one draw to the other. It is a piece of tracing paper on which the design has been replicated. Small holes pierce the paper the lines of the draw. A small bag filled with charcoal is then tapped against the poncif.