Quimper
» History » Technical Process
Quimper, picturesque city of the Old World, is located in the northwest part of France, in Brittany. The city is considered the cradle of earthenware/faïence, which bears the name of the Faïence de Quimper.
Quimper Faïence is best defined as a sense of pride, which is the outcome of years of tradition, harmoniously combining old-fashioned production techniques with the passion of hand painted traditions and a strong sense of excellence. The great reputation of the Quimper Faïence is built on its constant quest for excellence, making it prized the world over.
Blending hundreds of years of experience and talent, this factory is one of the few remaining Faïenceries in France that doesn't use transfers or stamps. All pieces are fully designed and painted by hand, making them all different and unique. They are marked with the symbol FAB, which is formed using the letters of Faïencerie d'Art Breton, and found on the back of each piece. Every piece is delivered with a certificate of authenticity.
»History
The Faïencerie d'Art Breton opened its doors at 50, route de Locronan in Quimper in October of 1994. The firm brought together four individuals, all members of families that have been involved in the faïence business for generations. The partnership is comprised of Jean-Yves Verlingue, Pierre-Jules Verlingue, Jean-Claude Breton and Pierre Breton.
Jean-Yves Verlingue is the son of Jules Verlingue who brough the “Faïencerie de la Grande Maison” into the 20th century. Pierre-Jules Verlingue is the great-grandson of Jules Verlingue, who took over his family's pottery at the age of eighteen in 1884, and was instrumental in making the town of Quimper second only to Paris as the French town most familiar to Americans. Pierre-Jules has dedicated many years to the making of Quimper faïence and is now the director at the Faïencerie d'art Breton.
Pierre and Jean-Claude Breton are following in their father’s footsteps, Alphonse Breton, who began selling Quimper pottery in the 1930s. Technical assistance is the unofficial domain of Bernard-Jules Verlingue, the grandson of Jules Verlingue. Today, he is the curator of the Musée de la Faïence of Quimper.The Faïencerie d'Art Breton blends hundreds years of experience and talent. To say that the making of faïence is part of its heritage would be a huge understatement. Pierre-Jules and Philippe still run the business using the same traditional techniques that have made Quimper pottery famous worldwide.
»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.
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