Quimper Pottery

This morning was just another Tuesday. Settling into the JOY of the newly established long, quiet mornings in the office futzing with this, adjusting that, reading, organizing, iSyncing computers, cell phones, and technology. Mornings where PJs rule and too much coffee is consumed. When what should I hear? The back door slam and the customary high pitched "yoo-hoo" coming from my father's mouth. It is a rather distinctive greeting.

When I arrived in the kitchen Doodles was looking rather dapper. A new colorful polo shirt, coiffed hair and he was busy at work opening a medium sized box. "I have a present for you." he says.

"Goodie." I say. Thinking to myself, "I need a present, I want a present, I surely deserve a present. Oh boy, a present for me."

Now before I tell what was in the box you should know that I grew up in a house LOADED with antiques and breakable antiques...Limoges, Wedgwood, Staffordshire...you name it, we had a few. It was truly a beautiful home to grow up in. My mother, Bear, fashioned her home after her mother's home. Jammy's house on Livingston Street was the best house in the world. Words can not describe the love I have for life and family at Jammy's.

In as much as I love beautiful draperies, carpets, and traditional decorum--I am rather a hodge podge meets clutter decorator. Most of the quality pieces that I have, come from my parents and Jammy's homes. Often pilfered, other times gotten legitimately.

Today--I hit the lottery. Doodles--has just recently returned from a France, Spain and Portugal trip and while on an island off of the coast of France, he thought of me and my new chocolate kitchen as he tootled about an antique store.

Look at the new spectacular plates that were brought home from this past voyage. They are antique Quimper pottery plates from France. Naturally, I had to Google Quimper Pottery.... I immediately loved this couple from the minute they emerged from their wrappings, but once I learned a little about Quimper--I appreciated them all the more.

Quimper (pronounced kem-pair), located in northwestern France in the province of Brittany, has been a pottery town since the days when the area was part of the Roman Empire. Eventually settled by Celts from what is now Wales, Brittany did not officially become part of France until 1532, relatively late by European standards, and thus, it has retained its Celtic heritage. Today, the town has become virtually synonymous with its pottery.

The current history of Quimper pottery begins in 1690 with the arrival of Jean-Baptiste Bousquet. Originally from the environs of Marseille in southern France, Bousquet started his factory in the section of Quimper known as Loc-Maria. He specialized in the production of utilitarian pottery such as tablewares and clay pipes for smoking tobacco.

LOVE THEM.

I truly know these two. I especially like that the man plate came broken and glued together. You can barely see it but it known to me. I wonder whose homes these two have lived in over the last 100 years. The wire to hang the plates was already wired into the plates.

I really like that Doodles was looking out for my newly Brown-tab-u-lous Kitchen.

A final note--I'm sure that in the back of my father's brain, he assumed that these antique plates are my birthday present for 2009. That is simply FINE with me. It is GREAT to really, really like the gift. Heck, they could be my Christmas, too! However, I noticed that Doodles didn't mention the occasion as he bestowed them upon me. So, far be it for me to assume that they are anything but a happy Labor Day weekend present.