A Palissy Basin
Explore the enduring influence of Bernard Palissy's unique pottery style.
Basin (Late 16th Century) by Follower of Bernard Palissy (c.1510 - 1590) The Wallace Collection
Tucked away in the Smoking Room is the follower of Palissy basin. His follower created it in the rustic style Palissy was famously known for. Not just a basin, it has been transformed into a pond full of colourful creatures. Splish and splash, careful washing your hands.
We think it was used for washing hands during meals or as a table ornament. What do you think it was used for?
Basin (Late 16th Century) by Follower of Bernard Palissy (c.1510 - 1590) The Wallace Collection
Which creature catches your eye? Perhaps the slithering snake, the friendly frog or the curious crayfish. The vibrant colours the maker created with the earthenware really bring the animals to life.
Basin (Late 16th Century) by Follower of Bernard Palissy (c.1510 - 1590) The Wallace Collection
The ripples in the water along with the reflections from the glaze, highlight a lively pond scene.
You can see in this basin that Palissy and his followers really wanted to illustrate the vibrancy of nature. He took a lot of inspiration from the marshes where he lived when creating his pottery.
Bernard Palissy (0000) by C. Maurano after E. Morin The Wallace Collection
In Paris, Palissy gave public lectures on natural history. He was a forward-thinking man and was one of the first to teach using facts, specimens and giving demonstrations. He became well known as a writer and scientist, as well as a potter.
Born in France, Palissy was a self-taught potter. He spent nearly sixteen years experimenting with clay. He even burned furniture and floorboards to make fire for his kiln. All his efforts paid off, as he created a new style of pottery called ‘Palissy ware’.
Platter (last quarter 16th century) by Bernard Palissy The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This made him famous, and he sold his first basin to French royalty. His style was so popular that most of the pieces today are by his followers and not by Palissy himself. Learn more about decorative arts at the Wallace Collection here .
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