A family affair

Two green knots since 1898

The factory was founded in 1898 in Nevers by the Marest brothers. In 1908, it was taken over by Félicien Cottard, who introduced the signature of two green knots that has lasted for more than a century.

It was in this workshop that Emile Georges learned his trade, revealing himself to be an excellent craftsman, who mastered every facet of the production process.

In 1926, he took over the helm of the ceramics business, and for the next 20 years, Emile and his wife Marguerite made their mark in Nevers among the many family-run ceramic firms. Marguerite, helped by her son André, continued the traditional method of fabrication, until André and his wife Mireille took over the reins for a further 40 years.

In 1991, Jean-Pierre and Catherine Georges picked up the baton, adhering closely to the family tradition, while modernizing some pieces made from an exceptional collection of forgotten 100-year-old molds, and developing a new color combination involving the application of gold on a cobalt blue background.

From 2005 onwards, Jean-Pierre Georges stamped each piece to certify that it was produced in Nevers.

The fourth generation

In 2010, Carole Georges and Jean-François Dumont took over the business, beginning a new chapter in the history of the family firm. While conserving traditional skills such as calibration of pieces and illustration done by hand, they have injected a spontaneous and off-beat feel to the creation of designs. Drawing inspiration from personal photographs, they paint tableware and decorative pieces with amusing vignettes, producing poetic and eclectic snapshots of daily life, such as a stroll in the forest, the way to school, a beach holiday, or a delightful view from a window.

They have also adapted the quality of their production to the demands of contemporary use. Plates are no longer only decorative, but also utilitarian, and can be used on a daily basis, since they are more robust and also dishwasher-proof.

The fourth generation at the helm of Faïencerie Georges continues to make each piece with the two green knots and to stamp the clay, thus certifying that all pieces are made and decorated in the workshop in Nevers.