Emile Galle Signed Faience Cat Figurine
This Emile 13″ x 7″ Galle Faience/Tin Glazed Earthenware Cat Figurine c1876-1904 sold for $5568 in February 2010. The cat is hand painted With blue dots, blue hearts and blue fish, has green glass eyes, and is underglaze signed “Emile Galle” and “Nancy.”
The production of faience, (tin glazed earthenware) in Nancy France was commercially successful for Emile Galle. This is due largely because of Galle’s level of interest and involvement working with both designers and artisans, and honing them into an effective working team.
Tags: Galle
March 17th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
I have such a cat but the markings on his paws on the underside are somewhat covered in clay, how would I go about finding out if this cat is the real “meow”? Thanks for any advise.
peter
March 17th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Hi Peter,
Great question. There have been a lot of Galle fakes on the market. #1 - If the piece has been in your family for 50 years, its probably real. If you bought it at a garage sale, you will have to do a little more investigating. Look at the pictures in the post. If your cat looks at all sloppy in comparison, then it is likely a fake. If it looks the same or better, you can have it appraised to be “certain that its right.” (Although appraisers sometimes get it wrong, too). Good luck!
May 30th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
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September 22nd, 2010 at 3:02 pm
An evident fake was sold for $50 at Stair Galleries on August 28, lot 88 (photo online). The body looks greenish rather than bright yellow.
We have a cat bequeathed by the late Charles van Ravenswaay. It looks more like yours than the Stair one, although I’m not an expert on this.
Anne Woodhouse, curator
Missouri History Museum, St. Louis
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:40 pm
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January 17th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Great article! This is such an interesting animal figurine! I think it will look very cute in a child’s bedroom. It’s also nice to see great craftsmanship. Very neat.