Earthenware of Strasbourg

The Faïence of Strasbourg is a Faïence of great quality which was manufactured by the Strasbourg-Haguenau company with Strasbourg in France with the XVIIIème century.

Founder and leaders

Three generations of the Hannong family follow one another the head of the Strasbourg-Haguenau company between 1721 and 1784.

Charles-François Hannong

Charles-François Hannong, from Dutch Nationality , was born with Maastricht towards 1669. He marries with Cologne Anne Nikke, girl of a manufacturer of Pipe S out of ground. He settles with Strasbourg in 1709 and opens a factory of clay pipes. In parallel, in 1719, Henri Wachenfeld, another foreigner and painter Ceramist, with the authorization to create a Furnace with Earthenware. But this one collapses. Quickly, Wachenfeld and Hannong join: Charles-François builds this new furnace in his factory of clay pipes and sign a Contrat of Association in 1721 with Wachenfeld. The manufacture of Faïence was thus born.

The year according to, Wachenfeld leaves Strasbourg. Hannong is thus the only one to manufacture earthenware in Strasbourg. The businesses are well and, in 1724, another factory is opened with Haguenau located at 40 km in the north of Strasbourg. The presence of Forest S and Argile lending itself better to the manufacture of earthenware make the situation very profitable. In spite of the creation of this branch, the factory of Strasbourg continues its production.

Paul Hannong

Paul Hannong, his oldest son takes the head of the manufacture of Strasbourg in 1732 while his/her Balthazar brother directs that of Haguenau. Balthazar sells its factory to Paul in 1737 in the intention to repurchase the faience manufacture of Durlach but its attempt is balanced of a failure.

With the head of two manufactures, Paul experienced the Polychromie, these tests belong from now on to name " technique mixte" , use of the technique of small fire to cook colors of large fire.

The period 1745 - 1748 mark the advent of the true cooking of small fire with the use of the Crimson of Cassius. It is the first to use the technique of small fire on earthenware in France.

Its desire to produce Porcelain as with Meissen and to equalize the quality of the decoration of it will lead it to put on the market of the earthenware decorated with exceptional quality which one finds on the princely tables of all the Europe.

Joseph Hannong

Joseph Hannong, wire of Paul, become the owner manufactures in 1762 and lead the pictorial quality of the decorations of manufactures to his Apogée, however Dette S contracted near the cardinal of Rohan which will be to him claimed after the death of this one will lead it to the Faillite towards 1780.

See too

The most beautiful earthenware collections of Strasbourg are visible with:

Strasbourg: Museum of decorative art.
Sevres: Museum of ceramics.
Gertwiller: Museum of the Gingerbread and Alsatian popular art. (see photographs opposite)

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