Faïencerie de Vitry-le-François - Glazed earthenware mantel, circa 1910

Between 1895 and 1900, the Vitry-le-François earthenware factory, until then the depot of the Sarreguemines factory, became a production centre specialising in sanitaryware, tiles and the manufacture of earthenware stoves and fireplaces. Recognised in 1900 at the Universal Exhibition in Paris thanks to numerous awards, the Vitry-le-François earthenware factory stands out for its monumental creations and its fireplaces adopting an Art Nouveau vocabulary. It is to the latter category that our fireplace belongs, where the organic plant line blends with the decoration of foliage in relief. It is composed of six distinct elements.