"Juifs Polonais", Plate bearing images of Polish Jews. Paris, [ca. 1816-20].
Hard-paste porcelain, painted, gilded, and glazed; marked on verso with the letter "M" and with a maker’s mark (faded and difficult to decipher) that appears to read "M.ture de MADAME. / Duchesse d'Angouleme / P.L. Dagoty E. Honore / a Paris".
At the center of the plate, over a white background, is an illustration of two individuals, wearing the costume typical of early 19th century Polish Jews, engrossed in conversation while standing in an open field. Underneath the illustration is an inscription in gilt lettering: "Juifs Polonais" ("Polish Jews"). The rim is greenish-colored with a recurrent vegetal pattern in gilt. A gilt band and pattern also adorn the inner rim.
The porcelain tableware produced in Paris’s Dagoty et Honoré workshop was renowned for its exquisitely high quality, for its elegant decorative patterns, and for its bold colors. The artwork, illustrations, and imagery covered a broad range of genres, subjects and themes, and included landscapes, plants, animals, literary scenes, the Franco-Prussian War (1812), scenes inspired by Chinese and Far Eastern literature ("Chinoiserie"), and more.
In all likelihood, the present plate was created as part of a 12-piece set specifically dedicated by the workshop to figures representing various nations from around the world. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, this particular plate and just one additional plate of its kind (see following item) are the only Dagoty et Honoré plates featuring Jewish figures or subject matter.
The Dagoty et Honoré workshop was founded in Paris by Pierre-Louis Dagoty (1771-1840) in 1800. Thereafter, in 1804, it gained the sponsorship of Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, whereupon it began supplying its merchandise to the Palace of Versailles. Following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the workshop began operating under the auspices of the French princess, Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, Duchesse d'Angouleme, and between the years 1816 and 1820, it worked in collaboration with Edouard Honoré. The mark which appears on the back of the present plate can be dated to those years, 1816-20, and it thus corresponds to this period of collaboration.
For comparison, see: Christie’s, New York, May 18, 2005, "Important European Furniture, Works of Art and Carpets", lot no. 97.

Diameter: 23 cm. Good condition. Minor blemishes. Remnants of glue on verso.

Provenance: The Gross Family Collection, Tel Aviv, 022.006.007.
This plate is documented on the Center for Jewish Art (CJA) website, item no. 41238.