A look at the design, market and legacy of Victorian pottery

Monday, June 27, 2022

The Majolica of Onnaing

La Faïencerie d’Onnaing was founded in Onnaing, France, by Charles, Knight de Bousies and his cousin Frederick, Baron of Sécus in February of 1821. The two had previously opened the pottery of Nimy-Les-Mons in Belgium in 1798 and decided to open a second location in France they called Frie Onnaing.



In 1827, Alexandre Giraud, acquired the pottery and ran it with his brother Charles Giraud. The two potteries remained in their control until Jean-Pierre and Jean-Baptiste Mouzin became administrators in 1858.



The company produced only earthenware faience from its founding until 1838. After this they experimented with a number of different bodies, importing clays from England and other areas in Europe. Their main production remained in plain or simply decorated earthenware and transfer decorated pottery for everyday use— sanitary wares, serving, etc.

Around 1870 the company entered the majolica market in a grand way with the production of floral and figural majolica pitchers; vases and jardinieres; smoking paraphernalia; banks; plates, strawberry sets and asparagus sets. It is for their colorful majolica that they are best remembered today.

Onnaing pieces have a color palette as well as a similar decorative style to those at the pottery of Nimy-Le-Mons. Flowers were a central theme of their jardinieres and vases although animals were sometimes incorporated into these jardinieres as well.

Onnaing Mogador jardiniere

Onnaing majolica Eléphants jardiniere 

Onnaing Roses Moussues jardiniere


Onnaing majolica Lions jardiniere
Onnaing majolica floral jardiniere
Onnaing majolica Roses Trémières jardiniere

Onnaing Pavots jardinirere


Onnaing Citrouilles jardiniere

Onnaing majolica Les Perruches jardinière

Onnaing majolica Chataignes jardiniere

Onnaing majolica jardiniere

Onnaing majolica Pensées Vaporisé

Onnaing majolica Cyclamen

Onnaing majolica Celtiques
Onnaing majolica Clochettes jardiniere

Onnaing majolica jardiniere Chrysanthèmes


Onnaing majolica jardiniere Lyonnaise

Onnaing majolica Chasse jardiniere

Onnaing majolica Poisson jardiniere

Onnaing Poissons jardiniere

Onnaing majolica Le Victorieux jardiniere

Onnaing majolica Jardinière Pensées

Onnaing majolica vase 3 Tulipes


Onnaing majolica vase Lyonnais

Onnaing majolica vase Fleurs en Relief 

Onnaing majolica duck wall pocket

Onnaing pitchers generally take three forms: floral, animal and character. All of these had catalog numbers impressed on the base and many of these had names, usually descriptive in nature, that were used in-house. Pitchers are usually glazed with a deep red interior lining.

Onnaing majolica Cyclamens pitcher
Onnaing majolica Clématites pitcher

Onnaing majolica Egyptien pitcher
Onnaing majolica pitcher Fougères
Onnaing Breloques pitcher
Onnaing majolica Coligny pitcher
Onnaing majolica Lierre pitcher
Onnaing majolica Capucines 

Onnain Dentelles majolica pitcher

Onnaing majolica Papillons jug

Onnaing majolica Eventail jug
Onnaing majolica Perdrix
Onnaing majolica pitcher Lilas


Onnaing majolica Dahlias pitcher

Onnaing majolica pitcher Vallauris

Onnaing majolica Roses Tremieres pitcher

Onnaing majolica Libellules jug

Onnaing majolica pitcher Cœur

Onnaing majolica Asperges pitcher

Onnaing majolica pitcher Flamand

Onnaing Bouledogue Marque Mepoco Ware
Onnaing majolica Hôtelier jug

Onnaing majolica Canard

Onnaing majolica Coq Chante Clair Pour La France

Onnaing majolica Cochon au jambon pitcher. Also made by Orchies

Human character jugs, for which the company became famous, are common figures from everyday life or well known persons from French history.

Onnaing majolica L'alliance Franco-Russe pitcher

Onnaing majolica Marianne jug

Onnaing character jug Moine

Onning Mineur de Charbon

Onnaing majolica P. Renoulède jug

Onnaing La Jupe Culotte jug
Onnaing majolica Jeanne D'Arc jug
Onnaing majolica Chemin De Fer figural pitcher
Onnaing majolica Réserviste jug
Onnaing majolica Francisco Ferrer figural Pitcher

Onnaing plates are usually cheerful and colorful.


Onnaing majolica Dessous de Plat Plumes de Paon

Onnaing majolica Corinthe Plate 

Onnaing majolica Fraises plate

Onnaing Jeanne D'Arc plate


Onnaing majolica plate Escargots

Onnaing majolica plate Feuilles de Vigne

Onnaing majolica plate Roses
Onnaing majolica plate Oiseaux

Onnaing majolica Huîtres plate
Onnaing majolica Asperges plate

Onnaing majolica Asperges server
Onnaing strawberry plate
Onnaing strawberry server

Onnaing also made small banks for children, usually in whimsical forms.

Onnaing catalog page showing some banks
Onnaing Panier bank

Onnaing Escargot bank

Onnaing majolica Chien Basset bank

Onnaing majolica Ecureuil bank

They also made humidors and smoking sets.

Onnaing majolica humidor, Eléphants 

Onnaing majolica humidor, Têtes de Lion
Onnaing majolica Camélia humidor

Onnaing majolica smoking set

The company made a small number of larger pieces for the home such as umbrella stands and pedestals.

Onnaing majolica Bambous umbrella stand. 
Also made in a version with an attached monkey

Onnaing majolica pedestal and jardiniere Colonne Louis XV

In 1900 the pottery came under the administration of Hans Mouzin. In 1914 the pottery was damaged during World War 1 and ceased the production of majolica. The pottery resumed production in 1921 and operated until 1938 when the factory closed. The facility was permanently liquidated by 1947.

Onnaing majolica pieces are easily found because of the company’s large output. They also had a strong export business to the United States. It is estimated that over a million pieces were potted there. They are sometimes marked with the name of the pottery, sometimes with the company shield, sometimes with an impressed starburst, sometimes with an impressed French horn, and sometimes with only a catalog number. If they were made between 1890 and 1909 they also include the word FRANCE. After 1910 they are marked MADE IN FRANCE.