Rouen faience armorial charger

Circa 1700

Diameter: 22 in. (56 cm.)

The arms are of the Lambert d’Herbigny family of Normandy and match individuals from within the d’Argence and de Frondeville branches. Based on their life dates and the date of manufacture of the charger, the most likely candidates are Jean-Baptiste Lambert d’Argence (1658-1720) or Charles-César Lambert de Frondeveille (1700-50). Jean-Baptiste Lambert was cavalry captain in the Bourbon regiment.

There is a similar and equally, unusually large armorial charger in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. no. 426-1870), illustrated in Arthur Lane, French Faience, pl. 18c.