Villeroy & Boch (, ) is a French-German manufacturer of
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
s, with the company headquarters located in
Mettlach,
Saarland
Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...
.
History
The company began in the tiny
Lorraine
Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
village of
Audun le Tiche, where the iron master François Boch set up a pottery company with his three sons in 1748. In 1766 Boch was licensed to build a ceramics kilnworks nearby at
Septfontaines,
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, where it operated a porcelain factory. In 1785
Nicolas Villeroy became sole owner of the
faience
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white Ceramic glaze, pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an stannous oxide, oxide of tin to the Slip (c ...
manufactory at
Wallerfangen
Wallerfangen (; , ) is a municipality of Saarlouis district, Saarland, Germany. Located west of Saarlouis and along the French border, it is the seat of the villages of Ittersdorf, Ihn, Leidingen, St. Barbara, Kerlingen, Gisingen, Rammelfangen, ...
. In 1812
Jean-François Boch began construction of kilns at the nearby town of
Mettlach,
Saarland
Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...
. In 1824 Boch commenced
transfer printing
Transfer printing is a method of decorating pottery or other materials using an engraved copper or steel plate from which a monochrome print on paper is taken which is then transferred by pressing onto the ceramic piece.John Fleming (art histori ...
on porcelain from engraved copper plates. On 14 April 1836, the Jean François Boch company merged with that of the competitor, Nicolas Villeroy, and became Villeroy & Boch, (V&B, also simply 'VB'). In 1869, Villeroy & Boch opened the first manufactory specializing in architectural tiles.
The company operates in two divisions: Dining & Lifestyle (formerly:
Tableware
Tableware items are the dishware and utensils used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. The term includes cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, serving utensils, and other items used for practical as well as decorative purposes. The ...
), Bathroom and Wellness. The Tiles division became a separate company (V&B Fliesen GmbH) in 2006. In 2007 the Villeroy & Boch AG sold 51% of the V&B Fliesen GmbH to the (
Eczacıbaşı Holding). Today there is only a 2.29% holding in the share capital of V&B Fliesen GmbH.
Among its innovations in Mettlach at the end of the nineteenth century was ''
Phanolith'', a kind of semi-transparent porcelain that combines the characteristics and benefits of
jasperware and
pâte-sur-pâte.
The creator of the Phanolith was the ceramics artist
Jean-Baptiste Stahl, who headed the modelling section of Villeroy & Boch. Phanolith gained first wide public attention at the Paris
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 (), better known in English as the 1900 Paris Exposition, was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 14 April to 12 November 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate develop ...
.
Villeroy & Boch has continued to base its broadest market in Germany. The company's Luxembourg factory was closed down in 2010.
In September 2023, it was announced Villeroy & Boch had acquired the
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
-headquartered plumbing fixture company,
Ideal Standard Group for €600 million. In March 2024, Villeroy & Boch announced the acquisition had been completed.
Stock market flotation and change of administration
Villeroy & Boch is now overseen by Group Chairman Frank Göring and is no longer run by family descendants. Members of the family continue to be employed by the company. Since 1990 the company has been listed on the German
stock market
A stock market, equity market, or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers of stocks (also called shares), which represent ownership claims on businesses; these may include ''securities'' listed on a public stock exchange a ...
, ticker symbol VIB3 although the voting capital is still in the hands of the family.
The Villeroy & Boch Group increased its consolidated revenue by 2% to €853.1 million in the 2018 financial year. The Bathroom and Wellness Division of the company increased its revenue by 4.7% to €584.3 million. The Tableware Division generated a revenue volume of €266.2 million, down 4.4% on the previous year.
The company marked its 275th anniversary in 2023.
In February 2024, Villeroy &Boch successfully completed the acquisition of all operating companies of the Ideal Standard Group.
Gallery
File:VundBVaseAltLuxemburg.jpg, Vase with the decor " Vieux Septfontaines"
File:VundBGedenkteller1892EugenOktavieVonBoch.jpg, Plate to commemorate the Golden Wedding of Eugen von Boch and his wife Oktavie in 1892
File:VundBTeetasseWallerfangen.jpg, Tea cup, made in Wallerfangen
File:VundBKrugGeritztesSteinzeug(Schlitt-Zwerg).jpg, Jar of incised stoneware
Stoneware is a broad class of pottery fired at a relatively high temperature, to be impervious to water. A modern definition is a Vitrification#Ceramics, vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic made primarily from stoneware clay or non-refractory fire ...
designed by Heinrich Schlitt
Heinrich Schlitt (August 21, 1849 – November 13, 1923) was a German painter and illustrator, known for his fantasy motifs that feature gnomes, Dwarf (folklore), dwarves, and Fairy, faeries. He was one of the in-house artists at the Villeroy & Boc ...
File:VundBVasePhanolith.jpg, Vase of Phanolith-stoneware, design and realization Jean-Baptiste Stahl (1869-1932)
File:VundBJardinierePhanolith.jpg, Phanolith ''Jardinière'': design and realization Jean-Baptiste Stahl (1869-1932)
File:VundBWandtellerPhanolith.jpg, Phanolith wall plate: design and realization Jean-Baptiste Stahl (1869-1932)
File:VundBGewuerzdoesenGeritztesSteinzeug.jpg, Boxes for spices from incised stoneware
File:V und B Loewe res.jpg, Lion figure made in 1910 by a worker for his son (traditionally, workers made such items for their children)
File:V und B Drina res.jpg, Soap dish, washbowl, and washstand pitcher design "Drina" (beginning of 20th century)
File:V und B Adria res.jpg, Vase design "Adria", c. 1934
File:V und B Goslar res.jpg, Cake plate design "Goslar", mid 1930s
File:V und B Doris res.jpg, Milk jug design "Doris", c. 1930
File:V und B Stempel res.jpg, Company logo on the bottom of a vase, c. 1934
File:VundBKristallglasBlau.jpg, Crystal glass, made in Wadgassen
File:Berlinwohnung 03.01.2014 13-21-51.JPG, Cup, made in the 2000s
File:Kamerpot, deel van een toiletgarnituur, BK-1980-57-H.jpg, Chamber pot
A chamber pot is a portable toilet, meant for nocturnal use in the bedroom. It was common in many cultures before the advent of indoor plumbing and flushing toilets.
Names and etymology
"Chamber" is an older term for bedroom. The chamber pot ...
with handle c. 1874
Footnotes
External links
Company homepage Villeroy-Boch.com275 Years Creating Homes – Anniversary VideosChâteau de Septfontaines ... origin of VB factories*
ttp://www.annaboch.com Anna Boch.com, impressionist painter, famous Art Collector - Boch family 4th generationbr>
Eugene Boch.com, impressionist painter, friend of Vincent van Gogh - Boch family 4th generationA history of the Villeroy - Boch porcelain markingsMettlach Exhibition at the American Museum of Ceramic Art*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Villeroy and Boch
1748 establishments in Europe
Companies established in 1748
Ceramics manufacturers of Germany
Companies based in Saarland
German brands
German porcelain
Merzig-Wadern