Rare Pair of Creil et Montereau Canary Yellow Transferware Faience Plates c.1840s - 8¾"

A graceful and eye-catching pair of Creil et Montereau _faïence fine_ cabinet plates from the mid-19th century, printed in velvety black grisaille against a rich yellow ground. Each plate is framed by an ornate floral border of roses and foliage, the blossoms trailing around a finely beaded rim. One central reserve offers a Romantic vignette of two élégantes poised beside a cascade with a country estate beyond, while the companion plate depicts a pastoral couple before a rustic cottage. The transfers are of excellent quality, inky and tactile, with a slightly raised texture that reveals a generous application of pigment. Condition is very good, with light age-appropriate surface wear and a few minute glaze specks, small nuances that do not diminish the strong, glossy decoration.

These pieces reflect the factory’s mastery of transfer-printed faïence fine, a French answer to English creamware that Creil and Montereau perfected after their 1840 merger. The black-on-yellow palette, fashionable from the Restauration through the Second Empire, highlights crisp copper-plate engraving transferred by tissue and fixed in the glaze, a technique prized for its precision and repeatability. The pastoral vignettes and abundant floral borders echo Romantic taste and the era’s enthusiasm for picturesque landscapes, illustrating the maison’s savoir-faire in marrying English-inspired methods with a distinctly French chromatic sensibility.

Display the pair on a dining-room wall, above a sideboard, or in a vitrine, where their bold contrast enlivens neutral plaster and dark wood. Though desirable to collectors for their uncommon yellow ground and finely printed scenes, they are equally compelling as purely decorative objects - striking, graphic, and instantly eye-catching. They bring a sophisticated note of color to a kitchen or breakfast room and can read as artwork on a console or mantel, offering a refined focal point that suits French Country, Neoclassical, or richly layered interiors.