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The Meadows Collection
Adela & Mark Meadows

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You’ll notice that prices are not shown; this is done not only to insure our customers’ privacy, but because many items are bought as gifts and still others are sold to dealers and interior designers...situations where the price is better left unpublished.  It's also a way to encourage communication. More often than not, all of the wonderful characteristics of a piece can’t be squeezed into the description area and besides, do you really want everyone to know what you paid for something?

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Vintage Côte du Rhône Travel Poster...All Roads Lead to Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Raoul Berjonneau (1911-1988) was the son of Jéhan Berjonneau (1890-1972) a post-impressionist paysagiste...or landscape painter. Raoul continued the family tradition and was an artist as well... specializing in spectacular graphics. This poster is an example...


Set within a leaf from a grapevine, the pouring from a bottle of Côtes de Rhône traces the tourist wine route of this iconic wine-growing region...


The detail is delightful...the four points of the compass are wine bottles and the towns...the well-known Vacqueyras, Gigondas, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape as well as the lesser-known Carianne, Séguret, Visan, and Rochegude evoke thoughts of a glass...or two...of a wine that ranges from  light and natural to powerful and spicy...

...conjuring up the essence of the grape varieties of the region that include syrah, grenache, muscat, and viognier.

The poster measures 38.75 inches by 24.5 inches and is unmounted. It is in wonderful condition...a small tear in the top edge has been archivally repaired and appearance is great.

Signed on the side...


...it was published...

...as publicity for the regional wine route that has flourished for more than two thousand years.

A fabulous graphic...we have also included this poster in our listing for Paintings, Prints and Pottery.

French Glass Bondé or Wine Barrel Stopper

The making of wine requires all sorts of interesting paraphenalia. This is not a paperweight...although it would make a very unusual one at that...it's a glass stopper known as a bondé used to plug a hole drilled into a wine barrel. When the time came for testing and analysis, the bondé...or bung, as it is known in English...is removed and thus a sampling of the wine can be removed from the barrel without disturbing the on-going and all-important fermentation process.

It measures 4.125 inches high, 2 inches in diameter at the top, and 1.5 inch in diameter at the base. The lower portion was lightly ground to form a perfect fit into the hole in the barrel. The glass has several bubbles...one large bubble surrounded by several bubbles that are much smaller. The end of the base has one small chip and one teeny chip. Pretty good condition for something of its utility! A conversation piece for sure.

Boch Frères Keramis...Charles Catteau Designed Vase/Grapevine

This stunning art pottery vase was made at the Boch Frères pottery factory in the Belgian town of La Louvière. The design was created by one of the twentieth century's most influential pottery designers, Charles Catteau.

Charles Crépin Nicolas Catteau (1880-1966) was born in Douai in northern France and studied at the prestigious Sèvres factory of Madame de Pompadour and King Louis XVth fame. He was such a good student, that after his certification in 1903, the Sèvres factory hired him as a designer. There he was exposed to centuries of ceramic history as well as the innovative ideas of modern ceramic artists such as Théodore Deck, Auguste Delacherche, and Ernest Chaplet. He also worked in Bavaria at the Nymphenburg factory near Munich and in Lorraine at the Rambervillers pottery of Alphonse Cytère.

The Boch Frères pottery began in 1841 in Hainault. It eventually acquired other potteries including one in La Louvière and produced a wide range of art pottery. A painter and teacher as well as a ceramics designer, Charles Catteau is generally described as l'homme de Keramis...the man of Keramis. He would work at the Boch Frères pottery from 1907 to 1947.

The body of this vase is stoneware or grès as it is known in French. The design is listed as Décor 642 in the Keramis pattern catalogs. Charles Catteau brought the then new Arts and Crafts and Art Déco styles to the Keramis factory and was instrumental in the pottery's ability to blend art with technical knowledge.

The base of the vase is marked with the Keramis signature as well as the décor and form number...

This specific décor is one of the first designs Catteau created in his revolutionary modernisation of Keramis art pottery; it used the new technique of emaux semi-mat and dates from 1920.

Close-up views...the grapeleaves...


...the grapes...


We have also shown this vase in our link for Paintings, Prints, and Pottery.

Bacchus/Bacchante Double-Sided Décorative Element

The original intention of this piece...where and how it was used...is a mystery. What isn't a mystery is its decorative value...it's fabulous!

It was a long, long time ago, and consequently I’ve forgotten most of what I learned about classical mythology, but since one of our specialties is wine-related objects, I do remember that Bacchus was one of the gods of the Roman Empire…the Greeks called him Dionysus. By either name, he was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking, and wine. His side jobs included serving as the god of ecstasy, intoxication, merrymaking, and theatre arts.

Crafted of silvered-metal with a three-dimensional motif, it measures 10.875 inches across, 3.675 inches high, and .5 of an inch deep.

On one side is Bacchus...to him we owe the term Bacchanalia...referring to a wild party with much revelry. Bacchus’ mission was to end care and worry. He certainly doesn't look worried here.

The other side features a Bacchante...

...what the Romans called the female followers of Bacchus; the Greeks called them Maenads which means raving ones. Well, she's certainly beautiful...

...perhaps that's the origin of the phrase "raving beauty"!

Creil et Montereau Plate (L'Hymne à Bacchus)

As noted previously, Bacchantes were the female followers of Bacchus, the God of Wine. They were free-spirited, fun-loving young women often depicted with flowers in their hair...hmmm...that's beginning to sound like something from the 60s-era! A precurser to a hippie, perhaps? Much earlier than that, this French faïence fine plate dates from the last quarter of the nineteenth century and features a lovely Bacchante. Here's a closer look....

...as she leads a toast while wrapped in garlands of grapes.

 The plate measures 7. 9375 inches in diameter and was made in the town of Creil, north of Paris in the Oise department. (The pottery in Creil was founded in 1797 and at one point...beginning in 1840...it was associated with a pottery in the town of Montereau located in the department of Seine et Marne. Hence the "Creil et Montereau").

The scene on the plate relates to the operetta "Orpheus in the Underworld" by Jacques Offenbach...the one famous for the tune "Galop Infernal"...better known, perhaps, as the "can-can" song...da da da...da da da da da da...da da da da da da...da da da da da da da!

Here's a video of that particular song...

Bacchus-Themed Ormolu...Antique Gilt Bronze Decoration

Discovered mounted on an old piece of velvet-covered board, the detail on this ormolu depiction of Bacchus as a baby is delightful...


...Baby Bacchus rides on a bed of grape-laden vines...

...revelling in his pursuit of life's pleasures...

...as he travels supported by a child satyr or faun at the front...

...while another...

...supports the other end of the vine.

It measures 6.125 inches wide and 2.5 inches high and is mounted on a board that is 8 inches wide and 3.75 inches high. It was painstakingly crafted...first an original sculpture was created, then used as a mold which was then subsequently rendered in bronze via the lost wax technique. A thin wash of gold was then applied. This type of work is known as ormolu...a term coming from the old French term for "ground gold". It's also known as gilt bronze...bronze that has been accented with gold.

The use of ormolu was very popular in late-seventeenth to early nineteenth century France and was used to accent the nobility's  furnishings...clocks, desks, cabinets, etc. as well as for jewelry. French furnishings from Louis XIV to Napoléon I's Empire made extensive use of ormolu.

Like other early production methods, including the making of hats, the original process for creating an ormolu ornament required mercury and thus, for health reasons,  was banned by the French government in 1830. (Later attempts at making examples with different materials produced noticeably different results).

Here is a photo of the piece against a black background cloth instead of the old faded green velvet mounting...

It was most likely part of the decoration on the base of a larger sculpture...from the back...

...one can note that the piece that represents the ground used to be longer on one side and it appears that there may be a missing leaf in the top center.

It had a note taped on the back of the board when we discovered it...a note...

...that reads...as far as we can make out:

vendanges du l'enfant Bacchus
relief bronze doré Louis XVI
Clodion

Clodion...real name Claude Michel (1738-1814) was a famous French sculptor...his work includes the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and the Vendôme column.  He worked in bronze and terracotta as well as marble and is highly regarded as one of the primary artists of the French Rococo Art Movement. (There's even a statue of him in the Louvre's  Cour Napoléon).

We generally don't hold a whole lot of stock in little notes attached to items, but in this case it all fits...prior to switching to working in the néoclassical style after the French Revolution, Clodion specialized in rococo scenes and classical images of nymphs, Bacchus, and satyrs. Here is a terracotta piece by Clodion...part of the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C...

So given the process by which the ormolu piece was made and its style, we concur with the note's author and also attribute the piece to Clodion...of course, no matter who created it...it is a fabulously decorative ode to the joys of the vine!

There is a museum near Mâcon in southern Burgundy that has a very early example of a rat-de-cave in its collection...it had been used by the monks at the abbey in Cluny. As can be expected, over the years the form evolved; this particular form with a stable round of wood for a base was fabricated in the nineteenth century by a forgery in Normandy.  It measures 8 inches high and 3.25 inches in diameter. And, should you be without a cave, the form also looks wonderful alone or as part of grouping on table or mantelpiece.

Brass Plaque Indicating Membership in the Conféderation Générale des Vignerons

An embossed brass plaque featuring a grape vine border encircling a rooster astride a bunch of grapes still on the vine with the sun in the background...

...this 8.5 inche diameter plaque was used to signify that the establishment on which it was affixed was a proud member of the Conféderation Générale des Vignernons...a sort of Brotherhood of Winegrowers.

The Conféderation dates back to 1907 and the Languedoc region of southern France. It began near the town of Narbonne with 87 disgruntled participants manifesting on March 11...moved on by the 14th of April to a gathering in Coursan of some 9,000 unhappy vignerons and their supporters...2 weeks later, 25,000 demonstrated in Lézignan...they were 150,000 strong in Bézier on May 12...two weeks later, 250,000 in Carcassone...until June 9 when 700,000 hit the streets in Montpellier.

It was the first mobilization within the agricultural community and the resultant Conféderation is the first French cooperative union established for workers within that trade. The movement had its roots in the earlier industry crisis brought about by the outbreak of phylloxera in the later part of the nineteenth century. The new methods required to maintain a healthy vineyard were prohibitedly expensive, and included  the need for systematic irrigation. Less expensive foreign wines...particularly  from Algeria...flooded the market. Made using less stringent methods, the Algerian wine made a serious dent in the marketplace. For the two years prior to the birth of the movement, various French government figures made attempts at regulating the situation, but the vast market of Parisian wine drinkers, just as happy with a watered-down or sugar-added product, led to much poverty and malcontent amongst those connected with wine-making in the Midi.

As this vintage trade card attests, the vignerons and their supporters proved to be a formidable group and the sign of being an adherent to the Confederation was a statement of quality.


Raseur...Soyeu...Zager

As explained on our home page, a raseur or raseuse is the French term for someone who is a bore. In nineteenth century French and Flemish taverns, cafés, bars and bistros, these tole-peint ...painted sheetmetal or zinc raseurs sat on the counter of the bar ready to be set in motion by the owner or bartender should a customer become a bit too inebriated or obnoxious. When the raseur stopped moving, it signified that it was time to head home. They were also set in motion to let the patrons know that closing time was approaching and when it stopped, it was time to pay the tab and call it a night.  Some were intended to sit directly on the counter of the establishment, while others were on stands. Depending upon the area,  these staples of le style  bistrot were also called a soyeu or a zager.

Since we feature a raseur as our logo, we always try to have some interesting versions in our inventory. Here's a sampling:

Zinc Red Parrot Raseur

We found this cheerful raseur in Belgium; it is 16.5 inches high and 4 inches wide...crafted of zinc, the same material used to make the traditional bar counters on which it once signaled closing time.


Wonderful old, original paint and great detail...

...to both sides...

...a great example of art populaire!

French Tôle-Peint Alsace Couple Raseur

This raseur features a man and a woman dressed in one of the traditional costumes of the Alsace region of eastern France...she wears a cap or coiffe topped with a large black bow...

...and he dons a jaunty knit cap....

 They are holding a sheet or banner between them but never seem to be able to fold it as they move back and forth on the wooden stand.

It is finished on both sides...

The man on this side...

...having a fine set of whiskers...

...while the woman...

...seems to have a bit of a double chin.

This style of raseur was placed on a stand rather than directly on the bar counter.  The stand has a metal ornament...

...that reads ALDA Saint Maure Cher around a rather imposing griffin. The town of Saint Maure in the Cher region of France is quite a distance from Alsace, so one can surmise that perhaps this was used in a bistrot owned by an expatriate Alsacien or Alsacienne. What the ALDA stands for is anyone's guess...although it's a good bet that one of those A's stands for "Alsace". There is a group with those initials that works against discrimination...Association de Lutte contre les Discriminations Alsace, but unless they also operate a bistrot, that's probably not related.

On the stand, it measures 10.675 inches high, 8.5 inches wide, and 4.75 inches deep. The raseur itself measures 8.25 inches high. It is painted on both sides...a bit of surface-only oxidation, a slight bend to the metal here or there...whimsical design and wonderful old paint combine to make this a great piece!

French Tôle Mickey Mouse Raseur

A wee bit rusty (to the surface only) and with a bit of a nibble to his tail, this marvelous raseur in the form of Mickey Mouse stands vigilant to protect you from boring people.

Dating from the 1920s, it is painted on one side only and measures 13.5 inches high and 3.8125 inches wide including the counterbalance.

Adorable!

Cross-collectibles, these raseurs are also featured in our Folk Art and Curiosities link.

Brass Locking Robinet with Key

The traditional methods of making wine require many orchestrated steps...with samples and tastings at each step. At times, it is necessary to transfer the contents of one large recipient into several smaller ones...from one huge barrel into a number of smaller ones, for example.  For these manipulations, the vignerons' access to the contents is via a specific type of spigot...depending upon the era or region, they may be in wood...known as a cannelle or in metal...a robinet. Placed in the lower portion of the barrel, above the sediment line, they can be used to remove either a portion for a sample tasting or the entire contents of a barrel.

Measuring 6.875 inches long, 1.125 inches wide, and 3.375 inches high including the handle, this ingenious robinet has the added bonus of security...the handle is actually a key...

...allowing you to take your sample, remove the key...

...and leave your cave secure in the knowledge that your wine will remain undisturbed!



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