Sarreguemines ‘Spring’ Pattern Ceramic Dinner Service Circa 1900 - 30 pieces

This enchanting 30-piece French ceramic dinner service by Sarreguemines, in the Spring pattern circa 1900, captures the irresistible charm of late 19th-century dinnerware. The ivory ground is finely decorated in slate-blue camaïeu transfer, where delicate songbirds perch among blossoming branches, fluttering butterflies, and sprays of foliage, all enclosed by an elegant foliate border. The rendering of the birds is especially graceful, their plumage and naturalistic, expressive postures adding a lyrical touch to every piece. The service comprises 7 dinner plates, 8 dessert plates and 11 soup plates together with an oval platter, a handled oval dish, a round serving platter, and a footed bowl - a harmonious ensemble suited for both display and service. The glaze retains a bright surface with a gentle ivory cast; the pieces carry scattered utensil marks and light age toning that speak to their history. A few chips, cracks and small losses, and the expected glaze crazing add to their antique charm.

Sarreguemines factory marks to the underside. Produced by Sarreguemines, the celebrated Eastern France manufactory, the service showcases the factory’s excellence in refined transfer printing on tin-glazed earthenware, blending practicality with painterly detail. This ensemble lends itself beautifully to a collected French-country or traditional setting: lay a rustic farmhouse table with the plates and use the footed compote for fruit or blossoms, allowing the blue-on-ivory palette to harmonize with linens and silver; display select plates on a kitchen wall or in a butler’s pantry; or mix the serving pieces with plain white ironstone for everyday use, reserving the more timeworn examples as charming decorative accents.