Important Louis XVI Period Fireplace Plate (114x98 Cm)

Important and elegant Louis XVI period fireplace plate from Franche-Comté, in Granges-Narboz in the Jura, the medallion decorated with flowers in its center, surrounded by laurel branches, is flanked by two columns topped with a bouquet of flowers, two pearl medallions with sunflowers adorn it on either side, a frieze of oves and darts and a row of pearls frame it. Note a light veil. It weighs 137 kg. Our last photo: painted metal sign, Comtois museum in Besançon. Loulans and Larians Forges Cast in Loulans les Forges (Loulans-Verchamp) and Larians (Larians and Munans), in Haute-Saône, these plates marked PL, LL, LOULANS or not marked, but of the same model, from the Louis XVI period for the oldest, of large sizes with more refined frames (frieze of oves and darts and string of pearls) will be reproduced in smaller dimensions with simplified frames (string of pearls or simple set of moldings and listel with fillet for the simplest) while retaining the original molds. In the middle of the 19th century, the 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 family of ironmasters and owned by the Boistouset family. Its furnace was authorized in 1737 for the joint exploitation of rock mines from the Loulans and Larians furnaces. From 1791 to 1805 the factory was operated by the ironmaster Nicolas Gauthier, then transferred around 1820 to Mr. Henry and operated by François Bernard Derosne, ironmaster at Grâce-Dieu in Doubs. In 1825, it mainly produced cast iron objects such as furnaces, fire hydrants, ornamental cast iron among others. The blast furnace, which employed around a hundred workers before it was shut down in 1870, was dismantled and the activity continued until the factory closed in 1888. The Larians forges, whose old building bore the date of 1656, now disappeared, were operated by the Bouchet family during the second half of the 18th century. Owned by Nicolas Damotte in 1811, they were acquired around 1820 by François Bernard Derosne, master of the forges at Grâce-Dieu (Doubs) and operated jointly with the neighbouring 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 afterwards 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 a production of alloy cast iron. For the plates marked PL, it should read Pont-les-Moulins and Larians because these two forges were linked by the master ironworks François Bernard Derosne who acquired the forges of La Grâce-Dieu in 1802 then that of Pont-les-Moulins, resold in 1836 to settle in Larians. He has owned the latter since 1820 (former property of Nicolas Damotte in 1811), operated jointly with that of Loulans. The forges of Pont-les-Moulins are known from 1401 and leased with the mine located near Baume-les-Dames. Sources: - Similar plates from 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 website: www.claudeaugustin.com