Onnaing Majolica

Q: Please find attached the Onnaing majolica I was given by my family recently. It’s marked with the number “789” and a crown above a shield. The letters “Frie” are on one side of the shields and “O” on the other side. I’d like to find out what the value is.

 A: Onnaing Pottery was in business in Onnaing, France, from 1821 to 1938. Majolica pitchers and planters were made in designs including flowers, geometric patterns, and historical and fictional figures. The number “789” is the model number of your pitcher. The name of the pitcher is “Peau d’Ane,” which was a French fairytale written in 1695. The story was made into a movie in 1970. The French name means “Donkeyskin” and the story is about a princess who covered herself in the skin of a magic donkey to hide herself from her father, who wanted to marry her after his wife died. The story had a happy ending because the father finds a suitable wife and the princess ends up marrying a prince. Other Onnaing majolica figural pitchers have sold for $65 to $110. Your pitcher might sell for more because the girl portrayed is a character in a well-known fairy tale.