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In 1778 in Strassbourg two French gentlemen, Monsieur Fabry and Monsieur Jacobi, started a small factory that made fine pottery. In this region of France the substance of the ground was very high and that made it a popular spot for pottery factories. |
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In 1793, in the aftermath of the fall of the Bastille, monsieur Jacobi disappeared and his place was taken by one Herr François Utzschneider from Beieren, Germany. He became the new companion of Fabry and changed the course of the existing factory. Utzschneider profited of the enormous interest for the English Jasper Ware at that moment. He could imitate it quite well and because of the trade-embargo with England, there was a very willing market in France. |
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After the French Revolution the little man from Corsica appeared, Napoleon, and he royally placed some big orders at the factory of the German Utzschneider. Off course this was a very good deal for getting the name famous! In 1836 Francois Utzschneider retired from his pottery works, but his business would stay a family business for years to come. |
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Around 1870 Sarreguemines started with the manufacturing of majolica, with a patent on shiny glace. De artists of the factory possessed the skill of this particular technique and the names of Utzschneider and Sarreguemines were among the greatest in the ceramic world of that time. they manufactured beautiful figurines, objets d'art, tableware in colors only realized by them, like an art of bronze looking green. |
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The artist Victor Kremer, with an English education in this branch, made beautiful majolica at the end of the 19e century, often after the design of the Italian Middle Ages. Around the same time Kate Greenaway designed her child dishes with those lovely, sweet decors, which is so well known among collectors. In the museum of Sarreguemines one can find many examples of the diverse collection of this old pottery factory. |
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By the way, after a museum visit, we can recommend the "Auberge du Vieux Moulin", which has an excellent kitchen in an exquisite environment. The museum lies in the center of Sarreguemines and the auberge on the Route France, number 135, one kilometer in the direction of the German city Saarbrücken. |
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