French Quimper Style Tin Tray in Blue with Breton Couple

A small printed tin tray decorated in the much loved Quimper style of Brittany. A Breton couple in traditional dress stands at the centre, framed by a red and blue roundel: he in a broad brimmed hat with a walking stick, she in a yellow apron and lace coiffe, with fir trees, a haystack and birds wheeling overhead. Bold blue and red flowers fill the corners, and a sponged blue edge finishes it off just as it would on the real faience.

Quimper pottery has been made in Brittany since the early eighteenth century, and its signature design, the Petit Breton, became popular around 1870. Pieces are hand painted to this day. French tin makers have long reproduced the designs on trays and boxes, bringing the look to kitchens and dressing tables for a fraction of the price of the pottery, and this tray carries on that cheerful tradition.

It measures 17.5 x 10.5 cm, which makes it perfect for corralling bottles of hand soap and hand cream beside the bathroom basin, as we have it here. A wipeable metal tray copes far better with drips than a ceramic one, and it does a much prettier job than a saucer. It would work just as well on a dressing table for perfume and rings, by the front door as a catchall for keys, or on a kitchen windowsill holding the olive oil and salt. Pair it with blue and white china, French linen and a little striped Breton cotton for a coastal cottage look, or hang it on a wall alongside Quimper plates if you already collect.

It is in good condition, with light marks from use, and has a plain gold toned back. 

Small, practical and full of French country charm, it makes a lovely gift for a Francophile or anyone who dreams of a summer in Brittany. Browse our trays and decorative pieces for more French finds.