18th - early 19th Century
NIDERVILLER PORCELAIN

Manufacture of hard paste porcelain was begun in 1765 at Niderviller by Baron Beyerle.
The porcelain enterprise grew out of the faience works.
Kaolin was brought from Germany until
Baron de Beyerle bought some of the first kaolin mines at St. Yrieix.

Period of Baron de Beyerle
1748 - 1773

Bulb Pot 1768, J. Paul Getty Museum

In the mid-1700s, porcelain became so popular among the nobility that aristocrats began sponsoring their own manufactories. Jean-Louis Beyerlé, an advisor to the king, founded one such operation at Niderviller in 1748, developing it out of an earlier faience-making business. The new enterprise initially drew its workers and stylistic inspiration from a neighboring concern in Strasbourg, which produced ceramic wares in the Rococo taste. At Niderviller, the workers modified the bright Strasbourg palette, making it softer. Because of its unique location in the duchy of Lorraine—where it was exempt from French laws designed to protect the royal monopoly of the Sèvres porcelain manufactory—Niderviller flourished for nearly twenty years, unlike other French porcelain manufactories. When the Duke of Lorraine died in 1766, the territory reverted back to the French crown, and the manufactory was then subject to new, even tighter restrictions on production and decoration. In 1772 Beyerlé sold the factory to Count Custine. (Getty Museum)

Period of Count de Custine
1773 - 1793

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1780, Private Collection

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1792 - 1793, Private Collection

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Vases (back row) c. 1780 - 1793
Bust of Custine (left front) c. 1800 - 1820
Musée du Pays Sarrebourg

Period of Claude François Lanfrey
1793 - 1827

With Lanfrey, the manufacture of the porcelain continues in Niderviller.
The moulds of Cyfflé, of use in the 18th century, are still used for these porcelain biscuits,
which were exported as far as Holland and on the edges of the Rhine.
But his heirs will not be able to repurchase the kaolin that Lanfrey had close to Saint-Yrieix.
And about 1830, the manufacture of the porcelain is abandoned.

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1800 - 1827, Musée du Pays Sarrebourg

This last piece is one of the monumental pieces of Niderviller
exhibited at the National Museum of Ceramics at Sevres.

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Garniture 1770-1800, National Ceramics Museum, Sevres

The Niderviller factory was subject to the influence from the Paris region during the period of Custine-Lanfrey.
The quality of tableware was often variable, but for the larger decorative items, such as this one,
the factory aimed for high perfection. The designs were often inspired by forms of silverware and antique marble ornaments from celebrated collections, eg. Duc d'Aumont.

As the 19th century marched on, the Niderviller faience factory began using
the new mass-production techniques of the Industrial Revolution.
Competition with Limoges led to an end of Niderviller porcelain production at the end of 1830.
Thereafter its production was primarily utilitarian.
Despite a series of bankruptcies and numerous changes in ownership in the interim,
the factory is still in production today.

Identifying Marks

There were no regular identifying marks during the years of Baron de Beyerle's ownership,
although a "B" or "A and N" interlaced, and impressed in the paste, were sometimes used.
The Beyerle mark on the plate below is one I saw at Monsieur Bastian's shop.

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Under the Comte de Custine, the first regular mark was a monogram with the letters C and N interlaced.
Later it appeared as two C's crossed beneath a count's coronet.
Beginning in 1792 the mark became "N", or the words "Nider" or "Niderviller" in underglaze blue.
During the period of factory Director Lanfrey the mark was C.F.L. ( the initials for Claude François Lanfrey)
interlaced, in underglaze blue.
When the biscuit pieces and statuettes were marked, it was usually with "Niderviller" impressed.
( On-line Ref. Old and Sold Antiques)
I have also seen figures and other pieces with just the crossed Cs.

Niderviller Faience
Collection Bastian

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A couple of Treasures from my trip

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1765 - 1770

Shown above is a very nice 12-inch Niderviller charger, in fleurs fines, from the Beyerle period,
which I brought back from my trip. It has since sold.

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Shown above is a later 18th century, 12-inch, faience charger from Luneville,
a town near Patrick's home, which I purchased from him.
A spectacular example!
It has also sold.

We bid a fond, but sad farewell to Patrick at Sarrebourg
and made a brief return to Strasbourg
before we left France...

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