DATE CYPHER FOR 1881, GILT CROWNED GLOBE AND IMPRESSED UPPERCASE MARKS, SHAPE NO. 1819 AND VARIOUS CYPHERS, SIGNED L.(OUIS) SOLON

The celebrated ceramics artist Marc Louis Solon came to England in late 1870 following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. The Minton factory had, under the directorship of Léon Arnoux, acquired a reputation for attracting the most skilled craftsmen from leading porcelain factories on the Continent. Solon enjoyed a long and successful association with the Minton factory producing some of the manufactory's most memorable pieces, including numerous works displayed at the great expositions of the late 19th century. For an discussion of Solon's work at Minton, see Bernard Bumpus, Pâte-sur-Pâte, The Art of Ceramic Relief Decoration, 1849-1992, London, 1992, pp. 100-151.