What Is Faience? Understanding French & Delft-Style Pottery

If you’ve ever picked up a hand-painted plate with bold brushstrokes and thought, “This feels European,” there’s a good chance you were holding faience.

Faience is a type of tin-glazed earthenware that became popular in France and the Netherlands centuries ago. Today, it’s still collected for its charm, hand-painted details, and slightly rustic, artisanal feel. If you’ve seen Delft-style blue and white pottery or Breton wall plates with traditional village scenes, you’ve already met faience.

So what makes it different from other pottery?

First, the surface. True French faience and Delft-style pottery usually have a soft white glaze made opaque with tin. The glaze often has tiny imperfections, light crazing, or subtle unevenness — and that’s part of the appeal. It’s not factory-perfect porcelain. It feels handmade.

Second, the painting. Most faience pieces are hand painted, which means no two are exactly alike. You’ll notice brush strokes in the florals, village scenes, or traditional Breton costumes. Delft-style pottery tends to feature blue and white designs, while French faience may include warmer colors like mustard yellow, green, or deep red.

Another clue is the base. Faience is typically made from earthenware, so the underside often shows a terracotta color rather than bright white porcelain. That exposed clay body is one of the easiest ways to identify French faience or Delft-inspired pottery.

Now, here’s the important part for collectors: there are modern reproductions out there.

 So how do you tell the difference?

Look for:
• Light glaze crazing from age
• Wear along the rim or foot
• Slight variations in hand-painted details
• A maker’s mark or country stamp

Older pieces often show honest wear and subtle aging. Newer decorative pieces usually look too perfect.

Faience is popular because it fits beautifully into so many decorating styles — French country, European cottage, farmhouse, even eclectic wall gallery displays. A Breton wall plate or Delft-style terracotta plaque adds instant character without feeling formal.

If you’re drawn to hand-painted European pottery, French faience and Delft-style wall plates are wonderful entry points for starting a collection. They’re decorative, approachable, and rich with history.

And honestly? They just make a wall feel more interesting.

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