The Language of Flowers
Le langage des fleurs 

Circa 1890-1902

This antique French two color transferware plate features two colors of  blue  and black. This is plate 1 of 12 from the Series Le Langage Des Fleurs by Choisy Le Roi and is titled Le Reseda : Vos qualités surpassent vos Charmes (your qualities surpass your charms)

Measures 7 1/2”

Condition: has a tight hairline at approximate 5:00

There is  typical, age related crazing present. 

Marked: Médailles D’or  The initials H B & Cie Choisy-Le-Roi

The initials HB stand for Hippolyte Boulenger, who was a manifacturer of faience and maiolica. Founded in Choisy-le-Roi by three Paillart brothers, subsequently directed by one of them, Valentin Paillart, and his partner, Hippolyte Hautin from 1824-36, when Paillart left. Hautin then took Louis Boulenger (1773-1850) as partner. Their children Adolphe Boulenger (1805-1873) and Alexandrine Hautin (1814-1900) married, and had four children, one of whom, Hippolyte Boulenger (1836-1892) took over the factory in 1863 and renamed it H. Boulenger & Cie. He transformed it into a company with an international reputation, exhibiting at the great world's fairs. In 1889, a store opened in Paris. Hyppolite was succeeded by his two sons and in 1920, the firm bought the Manufacture de Montereau, becoming Hippolyte Boulanger-Creil-Montereau. The Choisy factory closed in 1934, and Montereau closed in 1955.