Choisy-le-Roi HB earthenware tureen base

This lovely Choisy-le-Roi HB earthenware soup tureen base dates from the late nineteenth-century. It has pretty crackled glaze which is a stone / coffee color. It will make a lovely addition to a collection of stoneware.

The faience of Choisy-le-Roi was founded in 1805 by the Paillart Brothers. Later it was taken over by four brothers in the next generation including Hippolyte Boulenger (1836-1892) who in 1863 became the owner of the company, renaming it H. Boulenger & Cie (Hautin Boulenger & Cie), hence the initials HB underneath. Hippolyte grew the factory into a leading national company that was awarded several prizes at the Universal Exhibitions. In 1920, HB & Cie purchased Creil-Montereau, becoming the company HBCM (Hippolyte Boulenger-Creil-Montereau) until 1934 when their factories closed.