French Pedestal Bowl

Oh so French! Found in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, this early 20th-century French pedestal bowl is painted by hand in cobalt blue across cream ironstone. A sprig of fruit and leaves spreads across the inside, with a small bird in flight and a scattering of leaves around the outer rim and foot. Painted bowls like this were the centerpiece of a French dressing room or sideboard, raised up on a pedestal so the fruit inside could be seen from anywhere in the room. Sylvie sets it out with a pile of figs or pears, the kind of bowl that earns its keep just by sitting there.