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L’Escalier de Cristal 19th century luxury dinnerware

Description

This is a 19th-century French fine earthenware (faïence fine or terre de fer) plate made by the Choisy-le-Roi factory (Hippolyte Boulenger & Cie, often marked “H.B. Choisy”) exclusively for the luxury Parisian retailer L’Escalier de Cristal.
History
L’Escalier de Cristal (founded around 1802–1804 by a widow named Désarnaud, later run by partners like Lahoche & Pannier) was one of Paris’s most prestigious high-end stores during the 19th century. It specialized in crystal, porcelain, and ceramics, commissioning exclusive designs from top manufacturers. Choisy-le-Roi (near Paris) produced many of their tableware lines in the mid-to-late 1800s, often with hand-painted or transfer-decorated scenic motifs. These pieces were luxury items for the bourgeoisie and aristocracy, popular in Napoleon III-era dining services.
Your plate’s polychrome winter hunting scene (hunter with dogs in snow, hares, ducks/mallards, birds in flight, reeds, and bare trees) fits into the era’s fashionable “scènes de chasse” or seasonal landscape series. Comparable examples include winter-themed (“scène d’hiver”) or bird/hunting plates from the same maker and retailer. The scalloped edge, creamy glaze, and back marks (“Escalier De Cristal Paris” in script + stamped/impressed “H.B. CHOISY” with a number) are classic for these collaborations (roughly 1860s–1890s).

Category Other
Condition Excellent
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💰 Estimated Value

$250 - $400

Confidence: 85%

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