The Belgian ceramics company Boch Frères Keramis, later also known as Royal Boch, has a significant history in ceramic design.
Foundation and Early Years:
- Founded in 1841 in La Louvière, Belgium, by the brothers Eugène and Victor Boch, along with their brother-in-law Jean-Baptiste Nothomb.
- The Boch family had a long tradition in ceramics, dating back to 1748 when François Boch (founder of Villeroy & Boch) started a pottery company.
- Won a gold medal in 1847 at the Belgian Industry Exhibition.
- In 1860, they began producing polychrome (multicolored) pieces.
The arrival of the French ceramist Charles Catteau as artistic director in 1906 marked a turning point.
- Catteau and his team created more than 2300 numbered designs and around 550 different shapes.
- He experimented with glazes, colors, and firing processes to achieve unique and striking finishes.)
