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Samson of Paris Famille Verte Style Octagonal Porcelain Bowl

Octagonal porcelain bowl with Chinese-style floral and bird enamels, featuring a blue script mark on the underside. - view 1
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Estimated value

$150 - $350

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Brand

Samson

Era

Circa 1880-1920

Origin

🇫🇷 France

Authenticity

Very High(85%)
15

SAMSON OF PARIS FAMILLE VERTE STYLE OCTAGONAL PORCELAIN BOWL: IDENTIFICATION

An octagonal porcelain bowl featuring a Famille Verte palette with overglaze enamels. The central well depicts an archaic-style handled vase holding flowering branches, flanked by a bird in flight and a butterfly. The flaring rim is decorated with a continuous floral scroll. The reverse features a blue underglaze mark within a double circle—a pseudo-Oriental script mark characteristic of the Samson, Edmé et Cie workshop in Paris.

Compare with other ceramic pieces in the archive: Alabaster Urn-Shaped Vase, Han Dynasty Style Glazed Ceramic Boar Figurine, Chinese Blue and White 'Three Friends of Winter' Stem Cup, Ming Style.

CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS

Where This Object Echoes

Qing Dynasty China1662-1722

The composition mimics the 'Hundred Antiques' motif prevalent during the Kangxi reign.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

  • •Domestic display within 19th-century European 'Chinoiserie' interior design schemes.

Meaning Through Time

Late 19th Century

Symbolized the high status and sophisticated taste of European collectors of Orientalia.

Modern Day

Valued as a legitimate example of historicist European ceramic craftsmanship rather than a mere copy.

PRODUCTION & FIRING

The Edmé Samson factory, established in Paris in 1845, specialized in creating high-quality reproductions of 18th-century ceramics, including Chinese Export porcelain. This piece mimics the Kangxi period (1662-1722) Famille Verte style, which utilizes a specific translucent green enamel alongside ...
The Edmé Samson factory, established in Paris in 1845, specialized in creating high-quality reproductions of 18th-century ceramics, including Chinese Export porcelain. This piece mimics the Kangxi period (1662-1722) Famille Verte style, which utilizes a specific translucent green enamel alongside iron red, blue, and yellow. Samson produced these items for a 19th-century European market that prized the aesthetic of early Qing dynasty wares but found original examples increasingly scarce.

COLLECTOR NOTES

1

The Samson factory produced over 20,000 distinct ceramic models between 1845 and 1980, documented in the company's extensive archival records.

SCARCITY

Average55-70%
CommonLegendary

Typical antique shop fare. Requires some searching but regularly available. This is where most genuine antiques fall.

Rarity 4/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 100 ceramics items at rarity 4 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

  • Standard antique shop items
  • Regularly available
  • Moderate collector interest

Confidence Factors

  • The blue script mark is a well-documented Samson factory mark used for Orientalist reproductions.
  • Enamel palette and body color are consistent with late 19th-century French hard-paste porcelain.
  • Rim wear pattern is typical for this type of decorative export-style ware.
How does authenticity detection work?

CERAMICIST'S ASSESSMENT

Ceramics Historian & Kiln Specialist

Ceramics Expert

The mark on the reverse is highly diagnostic for the Samson factory, and the enamel execution aligns perfectly with known late 19th-century French output.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Underglaze blue script mark identifies the piece as Samson, Edmé et Cie.
  • 2Octagonal form and 'Famille Verte' enamels are characteristic 19th-century historicist reinterpretations.
  • 3Hard-paste porcelain body consistency differs from the softer, more luminous body of genuine Kangxi period wares.
  • 4Rim 'fritting' style glaze losses are typical for Samson reproductions of this era.

UNCERTAINTIES

  • •Rim enamel wear suggests the piece may have been part of a set used for service rather than purely decorative display.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

  • →Examine the footrim under 10x magnification for signs of artificial aging.
  • →Conduct a UV light test to check for professional overpainting on the rim edges.
  • →Compare the script mark to documented examples in L'Art de la Mimétisme to confirm specific production period.

CONDITION & GRADE

Grading breakdown

Not applicable; however, the rim wear significantly impacts the secondary market value compared to a pristine example.

Condition

Significant glaze loss and 'chattering' visible on the octagonal rim edges, likely due to contact or stacking wear. The footrim shows minor kiln grit and darkening, but the central enamel decoration remains largely intact with minimal scratching.

CERAMICS MARKET VALUE

$150 - $350

Updated: May 11, 2026

Who buys this

Collectors of French historicist ceramics and researchers of 19th-century imitation wares.

What increases value

  • •Clarity and completeness of the Samson factory mark
  • •Intact central enamel decoration showing minimal wear

What lowers value

  • •Significant glaze loss on the rim reduces aesthetic appeal for display-oriented collectors
  • •The widespread availability of Samson pieces caps the potential upper-tier value

What makes top-tier examples

  • •Large-scale presentation pieces (vases) or complete dinner services command higher premiums than single bowls
  • •Exceptional polychrome detail in the bird and butterfly motifs

Grade & condition

Extent of rim fritting, presence of kiln grit in the glaze, and vibrancy of overglaze enamels.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandModerate liquidity
Browse similar ceramics objects

For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

FROM THE CABINET OF

BR

bruinsma
The Connoisseur•57 items

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