Old enamel sign "Pierre de Namur"

Old enamel plaque bearing the inscription "PIERRE DE NAMUR" (Namur Stone), from a set of enamel plaques that equipped the drawers of an old paint merchant's cabinet. Pierre de Namur referred to a dark limestone extracted in the Namur region and the Meuse Valley, particularly valued for its ability to take on a beautiful polish and used in architecture, marble work, and decoration. Paint merchants supplied pigments, colors, and various raw materials to painters, decorators, and artisans; their drawer cabinets allowed these many powders and preparations to be stored separately, each compartment identified by a plaque like this one.

✦ Estimated period: Circa 1900-1920
✦ Provenance: France, former paint merchant
✦ Dimensions: approx. 13 × 3 cm
✦ Material: Enamel plaque
✦ Condition: Very good used condition, with small enamel chips, slight traces of oxidation, scratches, and wear due to age.

Old enamel plaque "Pierre de Namur", a curious professional object from an old paint and artisan supply shop.