Faience dish from Göggingen (Germany), blue and white decoration, c. 1750

Rare oval dish with a scalloped rim, made of Göggingen earthenware (near Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany) with a high-fire blue monochrome decoration in the center depicting a winged dragon on a terrace surrounded by stylized foliage and leaves, framed by a sinuous Baroque garland composed of inverted motifs embellished with plants and flowering stems, a decoration repeated on the rim.
Marked on the back in blue letters “Güggingen.”
Circa 1750, 18th century.
The Göggingen* factory was in operation for a very short period from 1748 to 1752. Dimensions: Length: 47.5 cm and width: 33 cm.
Provenance: French collection.
Only one other dish is known: See A. Klein, Deutsche Fayencen, no. 225, p. 214, for a similar dish of the same shape on display at the Mainfränfisches Museum in Würgberg. Ed. K and B, Braunschweig, 1975.
* This short-lived earthenware factory was founded by Georg Nicolaus Hoffmann in 1748 and closed in 1752 by Prince-Bishop Joseph due to its unprofitability. It produced high-quality Rococo-style pieces, mainly in shades of blue using the grand feu technique.
** The dragon has existed since creation and quickly became a decorative element in Europe during the Regency period. With ancient origins in China, it is a symbol of fertility and also the emblem of the Emperor.