Stunning 48pc French antique dinner service, 12 place Aesthetic bird & floral flow blue / white transferware 'Japonais' c1880 Longwy, France

A beautiful French antique dinner service in a stunning and rare design with place settings for up to 12 people, plus an extensive set of matching serving dishes. From Longwy, France in the pattern "Japonais' from late 19thC Aesthetic Movement in France. In excellent antique condition, this set remains very usable and displays beautifully.

Every piece has a different design, with exquisitely rendered birds, insects, flowers and foliage with Japanese-inspired motifs - cherry blossom, wading herons, cranes, swifts, dragonflies, butterflies and so many other glorious details await discover in this inimitable pattern. The serve ware pieces show barbotine relief molded details, with leaves, acorns, scrolls and twisting forms all adding to the depth and interest in these fabulous pieces.

This magnificent set was produced at the height of the Aesthetic movement in France in the late 19th Century and reflects the fascination with the motifs of Japanese design and ceramics, as the craze for 'Japonisme' was sweeping Parisian salons of the day. These classic motifs include insects and birds, along with the distinctive minimalist florals so revered in Japanese design traditions. This service includes a remarkable diversity of imagery - swallows and cranes, reeds and cherry blossoms, - all rendered in a beautiful, deep hue of navy / midnight blue, with richly detailed images in a blue flow finish.

The set includes: 12 flat plates, 12 soup plates, 12 side plates, 2 soupieres with lid, 1 small soupiere with lid, two large round flat serving platters, one oval serving platter, 1 gravier (gravy boat) two oval raviers (vegetable serving dishes), 1 tall footed compotier, two cake stands / compotiers. All in excellent usable condition. Please note that additional flat dinner plates are also available so please inquire if you would like a larger number of plates.

CONDITION -
Overall, this set remains in excellent condition with a gentle patina of age. Light crazing to many pieces, light scratches, a few very small areas of glaze loss, a few small areas of discoloration, etc. Also, it is manufactured using more 'handmade' processes than today, and you may see areas of glaze smudging, glaze spots, bubbles under the glaze as is normal for transferware and part of the vintage charm of the items. Overall, this set is in truly excellent condition for its age of 100+ years - it remains very usable and will display well for years to come.

The set includes:
- 12 Dinner plates (some slight variation between 23.2cm for 8 and 4 plates at 23.9cm diameter). One plate has a 1cm shallow glaze scrape to the rim, otherwise excellent condition.
- 12 soup plates (24 cm diameter height 4 cm)
- 12 Side plates (20.5cm diameter)
- 1 Soupiere / tureen with lid (Diameter 25.5cm x H 14.5cm W 29.5cm with handles H 28cm incl. lid)
- 1 Round shallow serving dish with lid (Diameter 25.5cm x H 6cm W 26cmwith handles H 16.5cm incl. lid
- 1 -Salad bowl ( Diameter 25.5cm x H 12.5cm W 29cm incl. handles)
- 1 round serving platter serving platter (27.5cm diameter x 3.5 cm high)
- 1 large round serving platter (30.5cm diameter x 3.5 cm high)
- 1 large oval serving platter (L 40cm v W 30.5cm x H 4.5cm) A few spots of discoloration on the serving surface and two roughly 2cm parallel fissures on the foot rim (possibly from the time of manufacture and not visible on display)
- 1 sauciere (gravy boat) (L25cm dish x H 10cm x W13 cm, serving bowl L 22.7cm x , W 13cm inc handles)
- 2 lozenge-shaped ravier serving dishes - 25.5cm long x 14.2cm wide x 3cm high
- 1 Tall footed Compotier (diameter 26cm x H 12cm)
- 2 cake stands (Diameter 22.7 cm H 3.5 cm)

Unless noted in the description above, all pieces are in excellent antique condition. I do have many more images available so please message me if you would like to see them.

An exquisite set to treasure for a lifetime - and beautiful way to add some authentic French antique charm to your life!

Feel free to ask any questions or to request more photos :)

Please note that the preparation time for this item will be up to 10 working days to ensure the best possible packaging and shipping solution for you. I will be using all my skills as a former gallery owner to ensure that this treasure makes its way safely to your home. Please contact me if you require the shipment to be expedited for any reason and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.

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Notes on shipping -

I always shop around to ensure the best possible packaging and shipping solution for you. Rest assured I will be using all my skills as a former art gallery owner to ensure that this treasure makes its way safely to your home. I have shipped literally hundreds of fragile items to every continent over the past 20 years. Your shipment will be fully insured against loss and damage in transit so you can buy with confidence.

I will always refund shipping overages. Etsy shipping charges are not always accurate to every destination - please enquire if you would like an exact quote for fully-insured shipping to your destination.

I am very happy to combine shipping so please get in touch if you like multiple items in my store.

Free shipping within France via Mondial Relay to the Relay point of your choosing. Door to door shipping, is an extra paid service on this item which can be selected at checkout