Lyon Faience

Lyon faience, tin-glazed earthenware produced at Lyon, from the 16th century to 1770. Originally made by Italian potters, 16th-century Lyon faience remained close to its Italian prototype, the so-called istoriato Urbino maiolica, the subjects of which are either historical, mythological, or biblical. Such, for instance, is a large, circular dish (British Museum) inscribed “Lyon, 1582,” the overall decoration of which was obviously inspired by an illustration in Jean de Tournes’s Bible, published in Lyon in 1554. The dish is possibly the work of an Italian, Giulio Gambini, who later became a partner at Nevers. In the 17th century Lyon’s output seems to have consisted almost entirely of drug jars and faience blanche, or plain white faience. In about 1733 Joseph Combe tried to revive the manufacture of more sumptuous wares, but Lyon’s faience remained derivative, this time of Moustiers, the birthplace of Combe. Later in the century it was almost indistinguishable from that of Turin; it had the same medley of Chinese and architectural motifs, interspersed with exotic birds, plants, and insects, the only difference being that instead of the red used at Turin, the Lyon potters used a yellow ochre. Except for a few signatures, Lyon faience bears no proprietary marks.