Chicken Feed!

In my last post I highlighted the elegant swan as portrayed in majolica. In this post I’m going to get a bit earthier and talk about the world's favorite bird. Let’s talk chickens!

I have to admit when I think of chickens I don't think of my Mom's Greek chicken and spaghetti that she served every Thursday as I was growing up. Nor do I think of the delicious roast chicken that was sometimes family Sunday dinner. I don't even think about Colonel Sanders' Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant where I'd meet up with my friends after school at a time in my life where hanging out at a fast food restaurant was a cool thing to do. No, the first thing that comes to my mind is a wonderful, silly satirical song from Music Man, Pick a Lot Talk a Little. When I was a six year old child surrounded by sisters who loved Broadway music it left an impression that has lasted a lifetime. I still giggle when I hear it!

Chickens have been part of human life for a very long time. Alectryon may have been the ancient Greek soldier who was transformed into a rooster to be guardian god of chickens but it was Athena the goddess of war and wisdom who is represented by chickens and whose figure in ancient drawings is often flanked by roosters. In Eastern Asia the chicken is venerated as the ninth of the twelve signs of the zodiac. In China it is associated with the Five Virtues; benevolence, wisdom, propriety, fidelity and righteousness.

For a lowly member of a farm household, hens and roosters have had a long history with mankind having been first cultivated as far back as 10,000 years ago. They have also been glorified in some grand art from ancient Chinese scroll paintings to Foghorn Leghorn. They have also left their mark on Victorian majolica. 

Both Minton and George Jones created rooster teapots.

Minton majolica rooster teapot

Minton also made a rooster and monkey teapot—that is being heavily reproduced—and an amusing and rare chicken box with chickens trying to escape from a basket.

Minton majolica monkey and rooster teapot

Minton chicken basket

Minton made some large chicken vases too modeled by John Henk and a smaller rooster and hen figural.

Minton majolica rooster planter/vase

Minton majolica chicken planter/vase

Across the English Channel the French excelled in making chicken majolica. Choisy-le-Roi made exceptional rooster and hen vases and figurals in several variations, some modeled by master bird sculptor Paul Comolera, as well as a charming piece of a mother cat protecting her nursing kittens from a rooster.

Choisy-le-Roi rooster vase

Choisy-le-Roi chicken vase

Drawing of the above from the Choisy le Roi catalogue

 by Louis-Robert Carrier-Belleuse

Delphin and Jérome Massier made a number of chicken pieces including a seated rooster centerpiece and a rare figural piece with a French Flag.

Delphin Massier majolica rooster

Dreyfuss made two adorable chicken pieces with chicks and Theodore Deck did a stunning rooster.

Theodore Deck majolica rooster 

The French, particularly Orchies, loved their poulet; chicken pitchers abound, even to the extent of the strange Orchies chicken man at the bottom of the group.

Desvres majolica Je Chante Clair  jug 

Sarreguemines majolica rooster pitcher

Sarreguemines advertisement pitcher

Orchies majolica rooster jug

Poët-Laval rooster jug 

Orchies majolica rooster jug

Onnaing majolica rooster jug 

Saint-Clément rooster pitcher 

Moret-sur-Loing rooster pitcher

Orchies Chanticler pitcher

There are English chicken pitchers too, the second one attributed to Forester.

There are chicken wall pieces by the French, the center one by Massier.

There are chicken vases by Sarreguemines; Gerbing & Stephan; Brown-Westhead Moore and others.

A chicken clock by Dreyfuss was made to order for different retailers with different enclosures for the clock.

Chicken salt and peppers.

There are chicken related smoking items.

A chicken card tray by Brown-Westhead Moore.

There are Continental chicken plates.

There are chicken banks...

...and a couple of rooster toothpicks.

Sarreguemines toothpick or bud vase

There are chicken terrines and tureens.

Choisy-le-Roi chick and egg terrine

There are rooster decanters from Germany.

And of course there are chicken egg cups.

So as the holidays approach remember the noble hen as more than just a domesticated bird gracing your table. Of course, if you don't share my respect and appreciation of chickens and their long relationship with humans let me leave you with one more image.