Exquisite plate “Buffon’s birds” for the Brussels royal palace

Rare plate with a bird called “Calère meunier adulte” from the famous set of the Royal Palace in Brussels, “with birds au naturel after Buffon”. Decorated with remarkable vivid blue ground with flowers and gold wheat ears. Signed for Cappellemans Ainé à Hal and to be dated around 1853-1869. Excellent condition.

Size: diameter of 23,5 cm

Lit: The first delivery of this set was made by Frédéric Faber to King Willem 1st. in 1828 and 1829.
The Cappellemans’ brothers, already manufacturers in Halle (L’Estroppe) with associate François Daboust, decide in 1849 to take over the Brussels’ manufactory of Faber. The success is immediate and soon the Royal Palace orders tableware to complete the large service with the birds of Buffon, delivered 30 years earlier by Faber himself. Daboust died in 1853 and the Cappellemans became the sole owners of the two factories.
Mainly active in tableware of diverse quality, let’s mention the superb plate adorned with birds in the collection of the Museum of the city of Brussels. Furthermore, the production figures and statues must be mentioned as they were of high quality, like the bisque statue of King Leopold the 1st standing with the constitution titled “Constitution belge 1831” modelled by Guillaume Geefs (1816-1872).