Vintage French Canova Hand-Painted Folkloric Plate

A hand-painted ceramic wall plate by Émile Canova (1919–2003), the Savoyard folk artist who built a lifetime body of work depicting French regional life across more than 8,000 different subjects. Painted in his signature naïve style, bold black outlines, soft yellow wash, a few well-placed strokes of orange, this plate belongs to his series of "assiettes parlantes": talking plates, carrying a witty inscription around the rim in his unmistakable handwritten script.

The painted figure here is the archetypal French bon vivant , a man of a certain age, hat tilted, pipe in mouth, glass of red wine in hand, and the inscription, running around the rim, reads:

"N'écoute pas ton Médecin : fais comme lui : fume ta pipe et bois du vin" ("Don't listen to your doctor, do as he does: smoke your pipe and drink your wine.")

Signed "CANOVA" lower right, with the original "Fait Main" provenance label still attached to the wire hanger on the reverse, a detail rarely surviving on plates of this age, and the mark collectors look for to authenticate Canova's hand.

Key Features

• Origin: France
• Artist: Canova
• Date: circa 1960s–1980s
• Type: Decorative wall plate
• Material: Painted ceramic / faience
• Design: Folkloric portrait scene with humorous French proverb
• Inscription: “N’écoute pas ton Médecin, fais comme lui, fume ta pipe et bois du vin”
• Marking: Signed Canova on the front
• Label: Original “Fait Main” Canova paper label to the reverse
• Display: Original hanging wire attached
• Dimension: D 19 cm
• Condition: Good vintage condition with visible surface wear, rim paint losses, scratches, and age-related marks

A small piece of French country humour, made to be hung in a kitchen, a bar, or anywhere a glass is occasionally raised in defiance of good advice.