Porcelain and ceramic trinket boxes have a long and fashionable history dating all the way back to the 1700s. The small, hinged boxes were tiny, labor-intensive works of art made with impeccable craftsmanship and hand-painted in exquisite detail. These curious little artifacts have held a number of fashionable uses over the ages: under Louis XIV these small boxes were used to hold a lock of lady's hair or small poem, but were more commonly used as snuff boxes, and later as pill boxes or simply as decorative pieces - objets d'art in their own right. They are still sought after today for their romance, nostalgia, and fine beauty.

This exceptional and rare antique heart trinket box is a lovely example that comes to us from 18th century France and is an exquisite example of Veuve Perrin style faïence. Located in Marseille, the Veuve Perrin pottery factory was renowned for manufacturing exquisite faïencerie between 1748 and 1803 and was oft imitated by other manufacturers of the day.

With each color individually applied and then fired, the box is decorated with a pastoral scene of a troubadour in eighteenth century dress playing a lute in a verdant field. The sides of the box are dressed with hand-painted floral sprays. The box is finished with antique brass trim and a decorative scrolling clasp.

Full of romance, this beautiful Antique Faïence Heart Trinket Box is sure to be a beloved addition to your collection.

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. 1"H x 2.75". Circa 1780s. In very good antique condition.

Learn More About Faïence

Faïence, or tin-glazed and enameled earthenware, first emerged in France during the sixteenth century, reaching widespread usage among elite patrons during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, prior to the establishment of soft-paste porcelain factories. Although characterized as more provincial in style than porcelain, French faïence was used at the court of Louis XIV as part of elaborate meals and displays, with large-scale vessels incorporated into the Baroque garden designs of Versailles. Earlier examples of French faïence attest to the strong influence of maiolica artists from Italy. Later works demonstrate the ways in which cities such as Nevers, Rouen, Lyon, Moustiers, and Marseille developed innovative vessel shapes and decorative motifs prized among collectors throughout Europe.

While faïence can be created from a wide mixture of clays, it is foremost distinguished by the milky opaque white color achieved by the addition of tin oxide to the glaze. French faïence is typically divided into two types. Grand feu (high fire) describes pieces that have been decorated with glaze and metallic oxides before being fired a single time at a high temperature of around 1650°F (900°C). Petit feu (low-fire) faïence, developed in the second half of the eighteenth century, refers to a process whereby the clay body is fired before being glazed and decorated with metallic oxides and then fired again at a lower temperature; pieces can also go through a third firing. Grand feu pieces have a more limited color palette that consists of blue, yellow, brown-purple, and green. By contrast, the lower firing temperature of petit feu faïence enabled both greater precision in painting techniques and variety in the range of colors.

(*History of Faïence courtesy of metmuseum.org)