Vintage Toleware Wall Plaque in Red and Cream Roses, Signed Michelet

Roses never go out of season, and these have been blooming on tin for decades. This vintage toleware wall plaque is cut from a single sheet of metal in the shape of an urn spilling over with roses, then painted by hand and signed Michelet at the base.

Eight roses fill the bouquet in deep crimson, soft peach and buttery cream, each petal picked out in thick, quick strokes of pink and taupe, with tiny red hearts dotted into the heart of the largest cream bloom. Look closely and you can see the roses were pressed into the metal before painting, so they stand in gentle relief and catch the light. Sage green leaves frame the flowers, and the urn below is painted in warm ochre. Toleware, painted tin made to bring colour into the home, has long roots in French and European folk art, and the loose, confident brushwork here is a joy.

It measures 36cm high, 31cm wide and 5cm deep including the hooks. Two small holes above the urn let it hang flat against a wall, and two hooks cut from the urn and bent forward will hold a tea towel, a set of keys or a little posy of dried flowers. The back is painted black.

This plaque has clearly lived a full life. There is spotting and age marks across the urn, rubbing to the edges and hook tips, small paint losses here and there and wear to the black back. We think it all adds to the character, and it is a piece to enjoy for its colour and age rather than for perfection.

Hang it in a farmhouse kitchen with a linen tea towel draped from the hooks, lean it on a shelf among stacked books and coral, or put it by the back door for keys. It would make a lovely present for anyone who loves roses, French country style or painted folk art.