Description
This decorative plate comes from the renowned French manufactory Émaux de Longwy, one of the most important workshops for artistic enamel and faience production of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The central field depicts two vividly rendered goldfinches within a naturalistically painted landscape of thistles. The scene is framed by a lavish floral border ornamented in bright hues of blue, green, yellow, and rose. The intense colors are set beneath a characteristically fine crackled glaze—a quality feature of Longwy works from this period, imparting additional depth and visual vitality to the piece.
The plate was produced as hand-painted faience using cloisonné-like contour painting and completed through multiple firings. The decoration was entirely hand painted (décoré à la main) and is unequivocally documented by the original factory stamp on the base.
Originally conceived as an ornamental or presentation plate, the piece is today regarded as a highly sought-after collector’s piece and decorative object, particularly well suited for wall display or cabinet presentation. Figurative Longwy plates featuring animal motifs like the one offered here are considerably rarer than purely ornamental designs. The harmonious composition, bold color palette, and lively avian motif render this example especially appealing to collectors of Art Deco, French ceramics, and enamel art.
