The “VP” mark on the backs of our 19th century faience place card holders stands for the Veuve Perrin pottery in Marseilles, France. Sixteenth century ceramic potteries located on the French Mediterranean coast began producing white tin-glazed and enameled earthenware to emulate the work of contemporary Italian majolica artists. But soon thereafter, royal patronage of the colorful faience ware resulted in the development of distinct decorative patterns and clay body forms in other French cities such as Rouen, Nevers and Lyon. Faience took on a more provincial cachet with the development of the first true European porcelain, but elite patrons still favored it for large-scale vessels used as table displays or in garden designs such as those at The Palace de Versailles. Our two place card holders display both an orientalizing influence and, in the “C” scroll, a reference to the Baroque. We can safely date them to the mid-19th century and assume that they were available in numerous designs to be mixed and matched at table. Today, their charm and lightness make them excellent cabinet pieces. Condition: Minor use chips typical of Faience. Dimensions: 3.75" diameter x 3.25".