Les plaques émaillées d’Antoine Vollon
54 different enamel plaques depicting silk manufacture, by the Lyon artist Antoine Vollon.
Lyon has long been associated with the manufacture of silk. In the middle of the 19th century, new machines (‘dessiccateurs’) were invented for drying silk. Decorating the machines were beautiful enamel plaques by the Lyon-born artist Antoine Vollon (1833-1900). Amazingly, he was only 20 or 21 when this series of curved plaques was created. He went on to find fame and fortune as an artist in Paris. The 54 different designs in this pack cover all stages of the production of silk and provide a fascinating record of an ancient craft industry. The old coat of arms of Lyon is featured on the reverse, surrounded by a garland of flowers. See the box
Above: Les plaques émaillées d’Antoine Vollon playing cards made in the E.U. for the Musée des Tissus and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Lyon, Lyon, France, c2013. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 title card in tuck box. Size: 58 x 88 mm. Purchased in Lyon, December 2013.
Follow this link to see what the original plaques look like: plaques-en-fonte-emaillees-realisees-par-le-peintre-lyonnais-antoine-vollon/►
By Roddy Somerville
France • Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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