154 - LA POULE AU POT - 1936

LA POULE AU POT - 1936 Original domed enamel advertising sign. 41 x 29 cm. “6/36” Superb condition - It is extremely rare to come across a piece that retains such vibrancy and is in such excellent condition— The colors have retained all their intensity, while the enamel displays its original beautiful luster and a consistently even sheen. The enamel is beautifully preserved across nearly the entire piece. For the sake of complete transparency, we note only a tiny bit of wear along the upper edge and a discreet, 2-cm-long scratch beneath the pot. “La Poule au Pot” was a bouillon cube presented in a solid, almond-shaped form with a yellow and red band, which dissolved instantly in a quarter liter of boiling water. “LA POULE AU POT” was produced by the KUB Bouillon Company / MAGGI. Launched by Maggi in 1912, “La Poule au Pot” followed in the footsteps of the famous Bouillon KUB, for which Julius Maggi filed a patent in France on November 14, 1907, for the wrapped cube. Marketed as early as 1908, this revolutionary product faced immediate competition with the arrival of Oxo in 1910 and Knorr in 1912. The brand’s fortunes took a turn during World War I due to a rumor of espionage. Falsely accused of being a German firm, the company saw its famous Kub and Maggi enamel signs torn down en masse by the French public, who suspected that the enamel manufacturer’s production numbers were secret codes intended to guide enemy troops toward Paris. The same rumor claimed that Maggi milk was poisoned. Switzerland/Kemptthal, Canton of Zurich