Important Louis XVI Period Fireback (131x99 Cm)

Very important Louis XVI period fireback, in perfect condition, found in Sombacour in Doubs. Decorated with a flowering branch in a medallion, surrounded by holly branches tied by a ribbon, alongside turned columns topped with the same branch, two bouquet medallions, hemmed with pearls, decorate it on either side and complete its ornamentation. Its frame is adorned with a frieze of eggs and a string of pearls. Marked LL on the lower part, mark of the Loulans and Larians foundry. His weight is 165 kg. Our last photo: painted metal sign, Comtois museum in Besançon. Forges de Loulans et Larians Founded in Loulans les Forges (Loulans-Verchamp) and Larians (Larians et Munans), in Haute-Saône, these plates marked PL, LL, LOULANS or unmarked, but of the same model, Louis period XVI for the oldest, large sizes with more refined frames (frieze of eggs and darts and string of pearls) will be reproduced in smaller dimensions with simplified frames (rosary of pearls or simple set of moldings and listel with fillet for the simplest ones) while retaining the original molds. In the middle of the 19th century, foundries moved towards the manufacture of stoves, cookers, furnaces and in particular heating appliances. The Loulans forges, in operation since 1562, owned by the Montmarin family, lords of Loulans, doubled their production in the 18th century, by the Rochet forge master family and owned by the Boistouset family. Its furnace was authorized, in 1737, for the joint exploitation of rock mines in the Loulans and Larians furnaces. From 1791 to 1805 the factory was operated by the ironmaster Nicolas Gauthier, then sold around 1820 to Mr. Henry and operated by François Bernard Derosne, ironmaster at Grace-Dieu in Doubs. In 1825, it mainly produced cast iron objects such as stoves, fire hydrants, ornamental cast iron among others. The blast furnace, which employed around a hundred workers before its extinction in 1870, was dismantled, the activity continued until the factory closed in 1888. The Larians forges, whose old building bore the date from 1656, now disappeared, were exploited by the Bouchet family during the second half of the 18th century. Property of Nicolas Damotte in 1811, they were acquired around 1820 by François Bernard Derosne, forge master at Grace-Dieu (Doubs) and operated jointly with the neighboring Loulans furnace. The factory changed management several times before the blast furnace was shut down in 1862 or 1863. It was operated between 1894 and 1900 by the company Derosne et Cie, then was sold in 1959 to Mr. Dartevelle, who was succeeded shortly after by the company Girardet-Dartevelle. The factory was taken over in 1991 by the Société des Fonderies de Treveray (55), belonging to the Hachette-Driout group and still in operation today, with production in alloy cast iron. For the plates marked PL, it must read Pont-les-Moulins and Larians because these two forges were linked by the forge master François Bernard Derosne who acquired in 1802 the forges of La Grâce-Dieu then that of Pont-les- Moulins, sold in 1836 to settle in Larians. He has owned the latter since 1820 (formerly owned by Nicolas Damotte in 1811), operated jointly with that of Loulans. The Pont-les-Moulins forges have been known since 1401 and were modified with the mine located near Baume-les-Dames. Sources: - Similar plaques at the Comtois museum in Besançon - Pop.culture, Architectural heritage (Mérimée), Raphaël Favereaux, for Loulans and Larians, very complete notices. - Pierre Gresser, From the mine to the forge in Franche-Comté, from the origins to the 19th century, 1990, page 117/127/143. - Journal of the Statistical Society of Paris, volume 65 (1924), p. 111. - Departmental archives of Doubs: 9J Forges de la Grâce-Dieu in Pont-les-Moulins and Larians. You can visit our site: www.claudeaugustin.com