Black Clay Dinner Plate | Jacques Pouchain Dieulefit Set of 12

Black Clay Dinner Plate |  Jacques Pouchain Dieulefit Set of 12

• Vintage. 
• Found in a flea market in St. Etienne. 
• Made of stoneware. 
• Listing includes the 12 plates shown. 
• Inscribed with artist signature. 
• 9.25″ diameter

About Atelier Dieulefit

Dieulefit refers not to a single ceramics studio, but to a historic pottery center in the town of Dieulefit, Drôme, in southeastern France, renowned for its centuries-old ceramic tradition. Clay has been worked in this region since Gallo-Roman times, with pottery production flourishing through the 18th and 19th centuries, when dozens of workshops supplied everyday culinary and storage wares.

In the postwar period, Dieulefit became an important hub for French studio pottery. Ceramists drawn to the area embraced hand-thrown forms, natural glazes, and functional tableware, blending tradition with modernist restraint. Pieces from this era are often marked simply “Dieulefit” or “Atelier Dieulefit,” referencing the place of production rather than a single maker.

The town remains closely associated with influential potters such as Jacques Pouchain, who established L’Atelier Dieulefit in 1958, and with later generations who continued the region’s emphasis on thoughtful craftsmanship and everyday use.

Today, Dieulefit is still celebrated as a living center of ceramics, with working ateliers and the Maison de la Céramique preserving and promoting its rich heritage. Vintage Dieulefit pieces are valued for their honest materials, earthy glazes, and timeless utility—quietly expressive objects rooted in place and tradition.