Oval Faiencerie de Gien Serving Dish

Terre de fer (“iron earth”) is a dense, durable French earthenware developed in the early 19th century, prized for combining the strength of stoneware with the elegance of porcelain. By the mid-to-late 1800s, it was often decorated with richly detailed transferware in red, blue, sepia, or purple, featuring botanical, landscape, and avian scenes that remain vivid thanks to its fine, close-grained body.