Details
A LOUIS-PIERRE CRETTE BRUSSELS-DECORATED LA COURTILLE PARIS PORCELAIN "FABLES DE LA FONTAINE" DINNER SERVICE, the decoration rue d'Arenberg Brussels workshop, the porcelain rue fontaine au roi Paris workshop, gilt and painted in encre de chine and buff (very light orange) with scènes animalières (animal scenes) after Jean de la Fontaine, on roots vignettes, the borders with continuous wreaths, further with stars and garlands in the neoclassical Louis XVI-style, the handles as branches, (all inscribed in period French, modernized in this description) comprising;
One twohandled oval tureen and cover, the tureen inscribed to the front le corbeau et le renard (the raven and the fox) depicting a fox staring at a raven holding a cheese in its beak, inscribed to the back l'âne chargé d'éponge et l'âne chargé de sel (the donkey burdened with salt) depicting a man astride a donkey crossing a brook, the domed cover en suite, inscribed to the front les oreilles du lièvre (the ears of the hare) depicting a jumping hare, inscribed to the back l'aigle et le hibou (the eagle and the owl) depicting an eagle watching four tiny owls, the base inscribed in overglaze red L. Cretté abrux above underglaze blue crossed swords, 34 cm wide Two bowls, the inside with a cornucopia, one to the front inscribed le coq et la perle (the rooster and the pearl) depicting poultry by a river, to the back inscribed le meunier, son fils et l'âne (the miller, his son and the donkey) depicting a stubborn donkey and three wayfarers (some old cracks to the bowl), the other to the front inscribed le cheval et le loup (the horse and the wolf) depicting a horse kicking a wolf, to the back inscribed le geai paré des plumes du paon (the jay adorned with the feathers of the peacock) depicting various peacocks and birds, 26.5 - 27.5 cm diam.
A pair of oval twohandled sauceboats and covers on fixed stands, one inscribed to the front le milan et le rossignol (the harrier and the robin) depicting a bird of prey attacking a tiny bird, to the back inscribed l'aigle et le scarbot (the eagle and the scarab) depicting the bird and the insect, the other inscribed to the front la tête et la queue du serpent (the head and the tail of the snake) depicting a snake, to the back inscribed le rat et
l'huître (the rat and the oyster) depicting the beast with oysters, the fixed stands with leaves in slight relief and trophies, the domed covers en suite, one inscribed l'aigle et le hibou (the eagle and the owl) and les oreilles du lièvre (the ears of the hare), the other inscribed les frelons et les mouches à miel (the hornets and the honey flies) and le cochet, le chat, le souriceau (the rooster, the cat, the field mouse) with ring handles, with loop finials (both with repaired finials), 28 cm wide
One oval tray inscribed le berger et la mer (the shepherd and the sea) depicting a shepherd, his flock and a barge, 39 cm wide
Twenty-four shaped deep dishes, (assiettes profondes), inscribed and depicting scenes en suite:
le chat et un vieux rat (the cat and an old rat)
philomele et progn (philomele and offspring)
l'aigle et le scarbot (the eagle and the scarab)
l'astrologue qui se laisse tomber dans un puits (the astrologuer which lets himself fall in a well)
le chat et un vieux rat (the cat and an old rat)
le rat qui s'est retiré du monde (the rat which retired from the world)
les deux coqs (the two roosters)
les vautours et les pigeons (the vultures and the pigeons)
le lièvre et les grenouilles (the hare and the frogs)
le renard et les raisins (the fox and the grapes)
le renard et le bouc (the fox and the ram)
la laitière et le pot au lait (the milkmaid and the milkjug)
l'oiseau blessé d'une flèche (the bird wounded by an arrow)
le cygne et le cuisinier (the swan and the cook)
le faucon et le chapon (the falcon and the capon)
les grenouilles qui demandent un roy (the frogs asking for a king) les deux pigeons (the two pigeons)
le loup et la cigogne (the wolf and the stork)
la goutte et l'araignée (the drop and the spider)
Jupiter et le passager (Jupiter and the passenger)
la chauve souris et les deux belettes (the bat and the two weasels) le coq et le renard (the rooster and the fox)
le héron (the heron)
le gland et la citrouille (the acorn and the pumpkin)
22.5 cm diam.
Thirty-six shaped dishes (assiettes plates) inscribed and depicting scenes en suite:
la grenouille et le rat (the frog and the rat)
l'oiseleur, l'autour et l'alouette (the birdman, the net and the swallow)
les frelons et les mouches à miel (the hornets and the honeyflies) le cheval et l'âne (the horse and the donkey)
le cheval s'étant voulu venger du cerf (the horse which wanted to take revenge from the deer)
le cochet, le chat et le souriceau (the rooster, the cat and the field-mouse)
le lièvre et la perdrix (the hare and the partridge)
le vieillard et l'âne (the elderly man and the donkey)
les voleurs et l'âne (the thieves and the donkey)
le loup et le chien (the wolf and the dog)
la cigale et la fourmi (the cricket and the ant)
le loup, la chèvre et le chevreau (the wolf, the goat and the billy goat)
le chameau et les bâtons flottants (the camel and the floating sticks)
la montagne qui accouche (the mountain giving birth)
la mort et le bûcheron (death and the woodcutter)
le cerf se voyant dans l'eau (the deer admiring itself in the water)
la fortune et le jeune enfant (fortune and the young child)
l'âne et ses maitres (the donkey and its masters)
l'homme et son image (man and his image)
le serpent et la lime (the snake and the file)
l'enfant et le maîtres d'ecole (the child and the schoolmaster)
la vieille et les deux servantes (the old lady and the two female servants)
le combat des rats et des belettes (the fight between the rats and the weasels)
le petit poisson et le pêcheur (the small fish and the fisherman)
le soleil et les grenouilles (the sun and the frogs)
le bûcheron et Mercure (the woodcutter and Mercury)
l'homme et l'idole de bois (the man and the wooden statue)
la mort et le malheureux (death and the unhappy man)
le singe et le dauphin (the monkey and the dolphin)
23.5 cm diam.
(one dish with a tiny chip) all with Cretté mark (1788 - 1799) (66)
