A highly collectible set of eight Majolica fruit plates by the renowned French earthenware manufacturer Saint-Clément, founded by Jacques Chambrette in 1758 and a favoured supplier for Marie-Antoinette. Majolica is made by shaping and firing a piece of earthenware clay, then applying a tin enamel glaze to create a blank backdrop onto which artisans hand-paint finely painted details. This exceptionally pretty set, which dates from around 1900, is exquisitely detailed and features wonderfully vibrant colours. They would be perfect for display on a wall, with each one depicting a delicious French fruit: oranges, cherries, apricots, plums, grapes, pears, peaches and raspberries. Each plate is marked on its base with ‘Peint à la Main – St Clément, France’. All are in very good, vintage condition with minor imperfections, in keeping with their age and usage.