By Tallinn City Museum
Tallinn City Museum
Fick’s faience represents the so-called Baltic rococo style that was widely spread in the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea in mid to late 18th century with its embossed décor and floral paintings, whilst remaining distinct from the output of other manufactures.
Carl Christian Fick’s faience manufacture, which operated in Tallinn from 1772 to 1782, mostly produced a variety of dinnerware; they also made aroma vases as well as small human and animal figures.
Aroma vase (1772-1782)Tallinn City Museum
Aroma vases
Generously decorated
aroma vases became popular luxury goods in the second half of the 18th
century, sitting on many cornices and cupboards and spreading the exotic aromas
of perfume mixes through their perforated lids.
This paunchy vase has been generously decorated with ductile flowers and foliage, through which one can notice insects, caterpillars and butterflies.
One of the most peculiar types of aroma vases were the so-called terraced vase, first invented in Sweden, variations of which were also produced at Fick’s manufacture.
Dinnerware sets
Dinnerware sets that had a similar form and colour gradients made of porcelain and faience emerged in the first half of the 18th century. Even though things depicted on the dishes could vary within a theme, the sets always had some common design elements tying everything together. In Fick’s case, this was the embossed so-called caterpillar element on the edges of the dishes.
The edge of the small platter is decorated by a brown stripe and four embossed caterpillar ornaments painted green, between them are small, naturistic painted flowers or “deutsche blumen”.
Round platter (Between 1772 and 1782)Tallinn City Museum
The edge of the platter is decorated by a brown stripe and four embossed caterpillar elements painted green; between them are painted flowers...
...and the bottom sports a large flower painted on it.
Plate (TLM 3198:4) (1772—1782)Tallinn City Museum
A large lonesome clove branch has been painted onto the centre of this low, French-style plate.
The edge is decorated with a brown stripe and three green embossed caterpillar elements.
A flowering branch has been painted in the middle of the deep, French-style plate.
A large lonesome tulip has been painted in the centre of this low, French-style plate that lacks a bottom rim.
Until the triumph of porcelain, dinnerware sets were made of silver or gold. This salt bowl with two depressions and inward curling feet (broken) was made after a silver salt bowl.
Text by Kristiina Hiiesalu.
Photos Martin Vuks.
