Joan of Arc plates in “Sarreguemines” earthenware

The story

This service of 12 plates, all different from each other, tells the story of Joan of Arc’s life in twelve episodes. This process is called “talking plates” with printed subjects, and the picturesque result makes it such a decorative object that a French collector preferred to hang them on the wall of his dining room rather than use them! A central vignette and a frieze on the wing constitute the usual composition until the end of the 19th century. Two different Sarreguemines series illustrated the life of Joan of Arc, this one being the most sought after due to its extremely modern composition at the time. – Joan of Arc is one of the most famous figures in France because of her courage and her victories during this troubled period of the “Hundred Years War” in the 15th century. But she is also one of the first emblematic figures of a woman who has succeeded in establishing herself in a world of men. By illustrating twelve key episodes of her famous life (12 plates), this rare earthenware service from “Sarreguemines” pays a fair tribute to the one who let herself be called “the virgin of Orleans”.

Stories do not necessarily correspond to reality. They are only given to illustrate a possible context of origin.

Sarreguemines earthenware, service of 12 Joan of Arc plates.