Antique French earthenware, terre de fer, ravier from Keller et Guérin Lunéville "Champêtre" series dating around the late 19th century.
Originally these dishes would have formed part of a large dinner service. These ravier dishes were used for serving side dishes at the dinner table and also practical for aperitif, or hors d'oeuvres: olives, biscuits, cheeses, etc.
It has a blue transferware image on the centre inspired by French rural life. This one has a lady with a basket for fruit collecting or a creel for fishing over her shoulder. I particularly like the imperfect transfer detail where someone has not applied the printed template of the image correctly and as such the image is smudged. This process was done by hand so there can easily exist some little defects when looking closely at antique transferware pieces.
Keller & Guérin (KG) Lunéville was one of France's most celebrated faience manufacturers. Founded in the Lorraine region during the 18th century, the factory became internationally recognised for producing beautifully decorated earthenware combining elegant French design with practical everyday use. Their transferware patterns remain highly collectable today, particularly rural and pastoral designs such as Champêtre.
There is a tiny chip on the side that has been worn smoother with time.
