Large Antique Presentation Plate – Faience from Choisy-le-Roi – Marked "Grand Dépôt Paris & Marseille" (19th Century)

This large fine earthenware presentation plate is an exceptional piece from the prestigious Choisy-le-Roi factory (Hippolyte Boulenger). Distributed by the famous "Grand Dépôt" of Émile Bourgeois, it features a very refined blue transfer print with basketwork, ribbon, and floral garland motifs. An absolute classic of Parisian bourgeois living at the end of the 19th century.

Main Characteristics

Manufacture: Choisy-le-Roi (Impressed mark H.B & Cie for Hautin-Boulenger).

Distributor: Grand Dépôt de Porcelaines et Faïences (Émile Bourgeois).

Decoration: Blue monochrome transfer print (without any gilding). Trellis/basketwork motif on the rim and bouquets of wild flowers.

Type: Large flat plate / Presentation platter.

Style: Louis XVI / Neoclassical.

Condition: Good state of preservation, with typical crazing (fine cracks in the glaze) of old fine earthenware.

Historical Expertise & Dating

The marking on the back is an extremely reliable historical source that allows for precise dating of the piece:

The Grand Dépôt (Émile Bourgeois): Located at 21 rue Drouot in Paris and 33 rue St Ferréol in Marseille. Founded in 1862, this store was the most luxurious distributor of tableware of the era. It only selected the "best models" from major manufacturers.

The H.B & Cie Manufacture: The impressed mark "H.B & Cie" on the back confirms production by the Choisy-le-Roi factory under the direction of the Boulenger family.

Production Period: Circa 1878 - 1895. This period corresponds to the peak of collaboration between Émile Bourgeois and the Boulengers for the creation of ceremonial fine earthenware services.

Why is this piece a safe bet?

Double Authenticity: The piece is signed by both the manufacturer (impressed) and the luxury retailer (blue parchment stamp).

Choisy-le-Roi Quality: Choisy earthenware is renowned for its whiteness and the precision of its transfer prints, rivaling the productions of Sarreguemines or Creil-Montereau.

Elegant Sobriety: The contrast between the white of the earthenware and the deep blue of the decoration (without unnecessary flourishes) makes it a timeless object that adapts to all tables, from the most classic to the most modern.