Why it belongs in ORBIS
French faience manufactory founded 1821 in Gien, Loiret, by Thomas Hall on the banks of the Loire; known for hand-painted earthenware, armorial tableware, and tilework in several Paris Metro stations.
The Faiencerie de Gien was founded in 1821 by Thomas Hall, who established the works in the town of Gien, in the Loiret department along the Loire river. Through the 19th century the manufactory built its reputation making armorial tableware commissioned by aristocratic families, and its tiles were later used in several Paris Metro stations. Today the works produce between 700,000 and 900,000 hand-finished pieces a year, supplying both its own boutiques and third-party retailers in Paris, Bordeaux, and Brussels as well as the United States. The company still manufactures in Gien itself.