Rare 17th Century French Wrought & Sheet Iron Crêpe (galette) Pan Circa 1700
Item History & Price
Very rare 17thcentury French wrought & sheet iron crêpe (galette) pan, circa 1700We purchase collections of Continental lighting, metalwork, ceramics, glass & textiles, enabling me to offer a quantity of rareantiques. Please register my store/page in your favorites, for a fine range of 14th to 19th century period metalwork, lighting& other pieces, all guaranteed, as to age, condition & origin. Ihave far more than I can possibly keep up with, as to eBay. Text, form...atting & images © 2019 – R. JosefBurdett-Williamson – all rights reserved.Breveté, 2019, par M. R. Josef Burdett-Williamson. ATTENTION – défense dereproduction !We are very serious, as to Intellectual Property & Author rights – violations arereported to our Intellectual Properties attorneys in Paris & Leeds. Please readmy terms of sale carefully!Elly BurdettThis is in England.Other pieces are for scale.You are only bidding onthe featured pan.Free collection by appointment is possible, nearYork:my large antiques room & many new arrivals can be viewed.
Please note:For those not familiar with my eBay store, you are dealing with 2 different people in England & France.I’m a part-time antiques dealer, &sometimes exhibit at UK antiques shows.My associate in France is an expatAmerican historian of European Decorative Arts & museum curator, with 45years of advanced experience. Sincerely, ET Burdett Dear friends &clients: We have more Fine Arts& Antiques than we can begin to keep up with, as to eBay – at least4, 000 period pieces. Group photos will give you a slight ideaof the depth of my collections, and Elly's inventory - more than 400 newacquisitions in the past weeks - keep watching this page. R. Josef I could easily load a truck – a large one – with thebooks that haven't been written, on so many specific categories ofEuropean Decorative Arts (and the British Isles). Virtually all publishedreference books are superficial, out-dated, and loaded with errors – so manyobjects of our ancestors' domestic lives, from about 1400 to 1850, remain inthe dark, as to the origin & development of forms, cross-culturalinfluences, and technical aspects of composition & construction.The only book to properly address many of these pieces in ironis Raymond Lecoq’s definitive French work - Les Objets de la Vie Domestique (pub. 1979). Unfortunately, it isout of print, difficult to find, & expensive – 300 to 700 Euros - however, it is a must. It is uneven - little space is devoted to the rich diversity ofFrench andirons, firebacks, or non-ecclesiastical pricket candlesticks - but ingeneral, hearth-related, other domestic objects and lighting arewell-covered, prior to the early 19th century. Coincidentally, theUS reference book, Schiffer’s AntiqueIron, was published in the same year. It attempts to address earlyiron in an artificial, Anglo-American contextual vacuum – and fails - ignoringthe fact that French and other Continental and British Isles DecorativeArts have been inexorably intertwined for at least 3, 000 years.Lecoq devotes 3 pages (178 through180) exclusively to crêpe – or more correctly, galette pans, and documentstheir existence (as stone tiles) since the Neolithic - but not a single exampleis illustrated in wrought iron. They are known throughout France and far beyond, inasmuch as the galette has been a staple of daily life since time out of mind. Ihave two larger 18th century French galette pans in my owncollection – both have wrought iron handles, but the pans are copper. Onething that has always puzzled me is the relative rarity of early examples – itis probable that every house of even modest means owned one or more, and certainlyby the mid-16th century, but they are extremely difficult to find in Western Europe, except for post-1750cast iron pans like the one in the group photos. This is an excellent and extremely rare pan – the only one I’veseen so far - if I didn’t already own two others with larger copper pans, thiswould not be offered for sale. Please keep in mind that circa means exactlythat – about – this could be earlier, or slightly later.Comments onContinental iron, lighting, & fireplaces: If you arestill laboring under the Anglo-American illusion that one can differentiatebetween oxidized versus rusted iron, as a valid criteria for fakes, it’s timeto throw out your prejudices, and start over. My French house & main hearthdate from about 1700 – the fireplace is not very deep, but is big enough fortwo people to sit inside, left & right of the fire. The opening is about 2meters (more than 6 feet) wide – depending on your height, you can walk insidewithout bending. The chimney gradually narrows, and also twists to one side -such that even without a chimney cap, not much rain or snow falls in.However, some does – and thismost definitely contributes to the rusting of iron over the centuries;certainly firebacks, other hearth pieces, andlighting devices that were often placed within the confines of the hearth. Thefrequently-rusted condition of early Continental iron is also caused bythe large number of leaky attic, barn or outbuilding roofs (or humid basements)– and this comment applies to both manor housesand castles: don’t forget that Europe has been through two World Wars. And, wine caves may have stable temperatures, but they are often damp – I’ve visitedmore than a few – the humidity certainly affects the condition of many piecesof wine-related lighting.Finally (perhaps!), there are many European countryantiques & 2nd-hand dealers who have the annoying custom ofleaving the contents of estate clearances in their barnyards for months, exposed to the elements – to say that the effect on iron & other antiquesis less than positive is a gross understatement. On the other hand, there arefar too many Continental dealers & collectors who feel that early iron hasto be overly cleaned - skinned to death - in order to be presentable. We stillbuy such pieces when they are manifestly of the period, but also constantlycomplain about the practice – it destroys the surface history of the centuries, and can also severely damage any delicate engraving that is not immediatelyapparent.More than 50% of the early Continental wroughtor cast iron I encounter has been painted black – it has been the traditionalde facto European treatment for oxidized or rusted iron for centuries.Linseed oil, diluted with more than 50% of solvent alcohol, is the best, least-invasive manner I know of for treating rusted iron - and the preferenceof many curators – it halts the rust/oxidation process, and after a few days, leaves the metal in a very presentable state.These facts are important to remember, when buying Continentaliron – mint examples sometimes appear, but to ignore pieces that have beenrusted, painted (or polished) to varying degrees will severely limit yourcollecting. It is also important to remember that heat eventually affects iron- the frequent deterioration of the bars of andirons and the base of firebacksbears obvious witness to this. Please note: French wrought iron, atleast as early as the Renaissance (I own 14th, 15th &16th century pieces) can be very regularly striated, and also finely pinned –generalizations are hazardous - as are assumptions based on non-Continentalstandards.Collectors or dealers with little hands-on experience with Continentalwrought iron need to keep in mind that Western Europe is not abackwater, technologically or otherwise – blacksmiths charge 50 Euros and more, simply to fire up the forge. Pieces such as these have not been recently faked – there is absolutely no financial motivation to do so - and, asthe late Jean Lipman observed, in an article I had the honor of publishing in1991, it is easy to be too paranoid.One major exception to this is thequantity of copies of wrought iron lighting devices that appeared on the Frenchmarket at about 2002, but they wouldn’t fool anyone, other than the rankestneophyte. Many are oxy-acetylene welded, or otherwise clearly of recentfabrication – and, nearly all I’veseen were based on British Islands lighting, not Frenchpieces.One thing inparticular to be careful of are copies of French crown-shaped hanging meathooks - there is currently a pair of fakeslisted on eBay.com as antique for $580, reduced from $600, and I will bet youthat sum that they are NOT. There are other fake crowns currently listed asantique on eBay, from German, Austrian and French sellers – buyer beware! I know of 2nd-hand andantiques dealers in France who still have these and other knock-offs piled upin their barnyards, getting "patinated" by rust. I have one of thesefakes in my house, but only because it’s more aesthetic and functional thanmost – it’s a half-crown, wall-mounting, and therefore useful for large ladlesand skimmers; it has a large candle socket in the front, and cost maybe $60 US. Average price for theseknock-off meat crowns from honest dealers in France is about 75 Euros – andthe ones that are rusted have often been treated with linseed or other types ofoil.If you have a serious interest in antique Continental cast orwrought iron, the French national museum, Musée Le Secq des Tournelles inRouen is an absolute necessity to visit – we did, several years ago, and I planto return soon, partly to work with the curators, as to the dating of earlyFrench wrought iron lamps & lamp trammels – I own one ofthe largest private collections of early lamps, lamp trammels & relatedpieces in France.We are independently listed with the NewEngland Appraisers Association, for France or England.Condition: Excellent, but as-seen, and as described: please examine the photos, which are anintegral part of the description. This has been lightly cleaned, but isuntouched, with no restoration; the pan is slightly out-of-round, and there isthe usual surface wear. Note: Photos are high resolution – usemagnification for viewing details; and please ask, if you wish more.© R. JosefBurdett-Williamson Certified expert & appraiser, New England Appraisers Association.FoundingTrustee, NewBedford Museum of Glass.Overall length – 26” (66 cm.): pan diameter – 12 & 1/2” (32 cm.): height athandle – 9 & 1/16” (23 cm.): handlelength – 14 & 1/2” (36.8 cm.). Weight – 1.64 kilos, notincluding packaging.Due to the size & weight, thishas to be shipped via FedEx, outside the UK. Insured mailing within the UK is £15; FedEx to theEU is £42; FedEx to North America is £48.00 (unlessincluded in grouped shipping).We don't charge for packing & handling, & always offer grouped rate posting, with no time limits.We ship from both France & the UK– please read listings carefully – rates& conditions are substantially different.Important!We usually mail within 3 to 7 working days from clearance of payment: but request that buyers beunderstanding of delays due to illness, severe weather, or computer problems: this is strictly a small business, with no employees! Intolerantbuyers, or those leaving less than 5-star feedback (no longer invisible) willbe black-listed.This is not a"decorator" shop - eBay’s Consumer Goods-generated “Hassle-freereturns” policy does not apply to arbitrary whim, or unqualifiedopinion! Returns areaccepted - if: there is amajor problem with the age, condition or origin of a piece as described;and this is confirmed by aqualified expert with professionalcredentials. Photographs of any alleged damage arerequired - they are mandatory for insurance claims.What you pay for shippingis actual cost –international shipping is stupidlyexpensive - we have absolutely no control over rates – I lose 6% toPayPal, and often absorbextra costs, such as double-boxing.International buyers – please inquire, as to mailing costs!Note: Our independent certifications with theNew EnglandAppraisers Association (in both France & England) expedite Customsclearances, and prevent EXCESS duties from being incorrectly imposed onantiques conforming to the 100 years legal dateline, thus saving buyers 10% to 43% inrelevant countries.Payments:PayPal, French or UK checks, or bank drafts, & all banktransfers accepted. I am obligedto accept PayPal, but prefer bank transfers, or UK or French checks - PayPaltakes a 6%bite out of all transactions - including shipping costs.My Frenchbusiness associate is an expatriate American historian of Decorative Arts, apublished antiques editor & writer, curator, certified appraiser, &internationally respected authority in early glass, lighting, metalwork, sculpture, period furniture & other categories. He has placed pieces withFrench & US museums, including the Smithsonian, & assists me withacquisitions, research & texts. You can buy from me, with confidence inyour purchases. We are separate and private, academic collectors, looking todefray the costs of advancing with our own collections. R. Josef is the only European Decorative Arts specialist for the New England Appraisers Association residing in the European Union, and isavailable for expertise or arbitration. We are independently listed with the New England Appraisers Association, for France or the UK. ETBurdettDearbuyers –apologies for the intrusive copyright lines, but they are there because R.Josef is an extensively published expert with ongoing academic & commercialcommissions, including forthcoming books. Listings often contain originalresearch & information that has not appeared before; several British &Continental eBay sellers have been reported for plagiarizing formatting &texts. We fiercely protect our Intellectual Propertyrights – and in court, when necessary.
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Please note:For those not familiar with my eBay store, you are dealing with 2 different people in England & France.I’m a part-time antiques dealer, &sometimes exhibit at UK antiques shows.My associate in France is an expatAmerican historian of European Decorative Arts & museum curator, with 45years of advanced experience. Sincerely, ET Burdett Dear friends &clients: We have more Fine Arts& Antiques than we can begin to keep up with, as to eBay – at least4, 000 period pieces. Group photos will give you a slight ideaof the depth of my collections, and Elly's inventory - more than 400 newacquisitions in the past weeks - keep watching this page. R. Josef I could easily load a truck – a large one – with thebooks that haven't been written, on so many specific categories ofEuropean Decorative Arts (and the British Isles). Virtually all publishedreference books are superficial, out-dated, and loaded with errors – so manyobjects of our ancestors' domestic lives, from about 1400 to 1850, remain inthe dark, as to the origin & development of forms, cross-culturalinfluences, and technical aspects of composition & construction.The only book to properly address many of these pieces in ironis Raymond Lecoq’s definitive French work - Les Objets de la Vie Domestique (pub. 1979). Unfortunately, it isout of print, difficult to find, & expensive – 300 to 700 Euros - however, it is a must. It is uneven - little space is devoted to the rich diversity ofFrench andirons, firebacks, or non-ecclesiastical pricket candlesticks - but ingeneral, hearth-related, other domestic objects and lighting arewell-covered, prior to the early 19th century. Coincidentally, theUS reference book, Schiffer’s AntiqueIron, was published in the same year. It attempts to address earlyiron in an artificial, Anglo-American contextual vacuum – and fails - ignoringthe fact that French and other Continental and British Isles DecorativeArts have been inexorably intertwined for at least 3, 000 years.Lecoq devotes 3 pages (178 through180) exclusively to crêpe – or more correctly, galette pans, and documentstheir existence (as stone tiles) since the Neolithic - but not a single exampleis illustrated in wrought iron. They are known throughout France and far beyond, inasmuch as the galette has been a staple of daily life since time out of mind. Ihave two larger 18th century French galette pans in my owncollection – both have wrought iron handles, but the pans are copper. Onething that has always puzzled me is the relative rarity of early examples – itis probable that every house of even modest means owned one or more, and certainlyby the mid-16th century, but they are extremely difficult to find in Western Europe, except for post-1750cast iron pans like the one in the group photos. This is an excellent and extremely rare pan – the only one I’veseen so far - if I didn’t already own two others with larger copper pans, thiswould not be offered for sale. Please keep in mind that circa means exactlythat – about – this could be earlier, or slightly later.Comments onContinental iron, lighting, & fireplaces: If you arestill laboring under the Anglo-American illusion that one can differentiatebetween oxidized versus rusted iron, as a valid criteria for fakes, it’s timeto throw out your prejudices, and start over. My French house & main hearthdate from about 1700 – the fireplace is not very deep, but is big enough fortwo people to sit inside, left & right of the fire. The opening is about 2meters (more than 6 feet) wide – depending on your height, you can walk insidewithout bending. The chimney gradually narrows, and also twists to one side -such that even without a chimney cap, not much rain or snow falls in.However, some does – and thismost definitely contributes to the rusting of iron over the centuries;certainly firebacks, other hearth pieces, andlighting devices that were often placed within the confines of the hearth. Thefrequently-rusted condition of early Continental iron is also caused bythe large number of leaky attic, barn or outbuilding roofs (or humid basements)– and this comment applies to both manor housesand castles: don’t forget that Europe has been through two World Wars. And, wine caves may have stable temperatures, but they are often damp – I’ve visitedmore than a few – the humidity certainly affects the condition of many piecesof wine-related lighting.Finally (perhaps!), there are many European countryantiques & 2nd-hand dealers who have the annoying custom ofleaving the contents of estate clearances in their barnyards for months, exposed to the elements – to say that the effect on iron & other antiquesis less than positive is a gross understatement. On the other hand, there arefar too many Continental dealers & collectors who feel that early iron hasto be overly cleaned - skinned to death - in order to be presentable. We stillbuy such pieces when they are manifestly of the period, but also constantlycomplain about the practice – it destroys the surface history of the centuries, and can also severely damage any delicate engraving that is not immediatelyapparent.More than 50% of the early Continental wroughtor cast iron I encounter has been painted black – it has been the traditionalde facto European treatment for oxidized or rusted iron for centuries.Linseed oil, diluted with more than 50% of solvent alcohol, is the best, least-invasive manner I know of for treating rusted iron - and the preferenceof many curators – it halts the rust/oxidation process, and after a few days, leaves the metal in a very presentable state.These facts are important to remember, when buying Continentaliron – mint examples sometimes appear, but to ignore pieces that have beenrusted, painted (or polished) to varying degrees will severely limit yourcollecting. It is also important to remember that heat eventually affects iron- the frequent deterioration of the bars of andirons and the base of firebacksbears obvious witness to this. Please note: French wrought iron, atleast as early as the Renaissance (I own 14th, 15th &16th century pieces) can be very regularly striated, and also finely pinned –generalizations are hazardous - as are assumptions based on non-Continentalstandards.Collectors or dealers with little hands-on experience with Continentalwrought iron need to keep in mind that Western Europe is not abackwater, technologically or otherwise – blacksmiths charge 50 Euros and more, simply to fire up the forge. Pieces such as these have not been recently faked – there is absolutely no financial motivation to do so - and, asthe late Jean Lipman observed, in an article I had the honor of publishing in1991, it is easy to be too paranoid.One major exception to this is thequantity of copies of wrought iron lighting devices that appeared on the Frenchmarket at about 2002, but they wouldn’t fool anyone, other than the rankestneophyte. Many are oxy-acetylene welded, or otherwise clearly of recentfabrication – and, nearly all I’veseen were based on British Islands lighting, not Frenchpieces.One thing inparticular to be careful of are copies of French crown-shaped hanging meathooks - there is currently a pair of fakeslisted on eBay.com as antique for $580, reduced from $600, and I will bet youthat sum that they are NOT. There are other fake crowns currently listed asantique on eBay, from German, Austrian and French sellers – buyer beware! I know of 2nd-hand andantiques dealers in France who still have these and other knock-offs piled upin their barnyards, getting "patinated" by rust. I have one of thesefakes in my house, but only because it’s more aesthetic and functional thanmost – it’s a half-crown, wall-mounting, and therefore useful for large ladlesand skimmers; it has a large candle socket in the front, and cost maybe $60 US. Average price for theseknock-off meat crowns from honest dealers in France is about 75 Euros – andthe ones that are rusted have often been treated with linseed or other types ofoil.If you have a serious interest in antique Continental cast orwrought iron, the French national museum, Musée Le Secq des Tournelles inRouen is an absolute necessity to visit – we did, several years ago, and I planto return soon, partly to work with the curators, as to the dating of earlyFrench wrought iron lamps & lamp trammels – I own one ofthe largest private collections of early lamps, lamp trammels & relatedpieces in France.We are independently listed with the NewEngland Appraisers Association, for France or England.Condition: Excellent, but as-seen, and as described: please examine the photos, which are anintegral part of the description. This has been lightly cleaned, but isuntouched, with no restoration; the pan is slightly out-of-round, and there isthe usual surface wear. Note: Photos are high resolution – usemagnification for viewing details; and please ask, if you wish more.© R. JosefBurdett-Williamson Certified expert & appraiser, New England Appraisers Association.FoundingTrustee, NewBedford Museum of Glass.Overall length – 26” (66 cm.): pan diameter – 12 & 1/2” (32 cm.): height athandle – 9 & 1/16” (23 cm.): handlelength – 14 & 1/2” (36.8 cm.). Weight – 1.64 kilos, notincluding packaging.Due to the size & weight, thishas to be shipped via FedEx, outside the UK. Insured mailing within the UK is £15; FedEx to theEU is £42; FedEx to North America is £48.00 (unlessincluded in grouped shipping).We don't charge for packing & handling, & always offer grouped rate posting, with no time limits.We ship from both France & the UK– please read listings carefully – rates& conditions are substantially different.Important!We usually mail within 3 to 7 working days from clearance of payment: but request that buyers beunderstanding of delays due to illness, severe weather, or computer problems: this is strictly a small business, with no employees! Intolerantbuyers, or those leaving less than 5-star feedback (no longer invisible) willbe black-listed.This is not a"decorator" shop - eBay’s Consumer Goods-generated “Hassle-freereturns” policy does not apply to arbitrary whim, or unqualifiedopinion! Returns areaccepted - if: there is amajor problem with the age, condition or origin of a piece as described;and this is confirmed by aqualified expert with professionalcredentials. Photographs of any alleged damage arerequired - they are mandatory for insurance claims.What you pay for shippingis actual cost –international shipping is stupidlyexpensive - we have absolutely no control over rates – I lose 6% toPayPal, and often absorbextra costs, such as double-boxing.International buyers – please inquire, as to mailing costs!Note: Our independent certifications with theNew EnglandAppraisers Association (in both France & England) expedite Customsclearances, and prevent EXCESS duties from being incorrectly imposed onantiques conforming to the 100 years legal dateline, thus saving buyers 10% to 43% inrelevant countries.Payments:PayPal, French or UK checks, or bank drafts, & all banktransfers accepted. I am obligedto accept PayPal, but prefer bank transfers, or UK or French checks - PayPaltakes a 6%bite out of all transactions - including shipping costs.My Frenchbusiness associate is an expatriate American historian of Decorative Arts, apublished antiques editor & writer, curator, certified appraiser, &internationally respected authority in early glass, lighting, metalwork, sculpture, period furniture & other categories. He has placed pieces withFrench & US museums, including the Smithsonian, & assists me withacquisitions, research & texts. You can buy from me, with confidence inyour purchases. We are separate and private, academic collectors, looking todefray the costs of advancing with our own collections. R. Josef is the only European Decorative Arts specialist for the New England Appraisers Association residing in the European Union, and isavailable for expertise or arbitration. We are independently listed with the New England Appraisers Association, for France or the UK. ETBurdettDearbuyers –apologies for the intrusive copyright lines, but they are there because R.Josef is an extensively published expert with ongoing academic & commercialcommissions, including forthcoming books. Listings often contain originalresearch & information that has not appeared before; several British &Continental eBay sellers have been reported for plagiarizing formatting &texts. We fiercely protect our Intellectual Propertyrights – and in court, when necessary.
00023
