Creighton University

This platter has three troughs presenting animal scenes.  Are they meant to be fables?  The three scenes have perhaps peacocks attacking a crow; wolves attacking a bull; and a wolf lying in wait for sheep.  The first fits well with BF.  The third may well show departing dogs in the upper left and suggest the fable in which  the wolves convinced the sheep that they did not need the dogs.  I am unsure of the animal in the second trough.  Might it be one of several bulls that has been pulled away from the others?  In the center sits a dramatic “Aisopos” in Greek.  For what might this platter have been used?  Click on the platter to see close-ups.

Cruaz’ design appears to have been used on different styles and sizes of tableware.  Yvonne Cruaz was active for Salins with a variety of lively works.  I enjoy the contrast between the gnarly tree and the sinuous fox.  The coloring suggests that the cheese already belongs to the fox.  The Salins earthenware factory was integrated in 1968 into the company of the Faïenceries de Sarreguemines, before specialising in sanitary ceramics. The production of standard earthenware tableware was stopped in 1988, and that of high-end items in 1998.