Old French Majolica Pitcher La Cigale & La Fourmi

This pitcher is made of white clay, about 12" tall and hand-painted (it is packed away and I have forgotten the actual height). It is decorated on both sides with two peasant girls, one carrying a basket of vegetables, the other holding a stringed instrument (guitar-like). On one side, incised above the girls' heads is "La Cigale & La Fourmi" (The Ant and the Grasshopper-or The Ant and the Cricket, a French fable). The bottom is hand-signed with Greek letters, a red Sigma and a blue Delta, and possibly a brown Chi and Omicron. The glaze is crazed and the colors are good. There are a few chips; it appears to be old. Note: the green "flag" decoration near the rim of the pitcher is a mirror image on the two sides but the girls are not. Could the girls be formed by a mold and applied? The two sides are such a perfect replica of one another.