Jules Verne: Collecting - Porcelain Fèves (Feves)

Page last updated: February 7, 2005

Jules Verne Porcelain Fèves
Jules Verne (single) / Jules Verne Set of 9 / Book Fèves / Anniversary Fèves (2004/2005)

Fèves are hand painted, porcelain or ceramic figurines that originate in France. They are made to be put inside an Epiphany Cake, or King Cake (Gâteau de Roi) for the "Epiphany" Holiday (La fête de l'épiphanie ou fête des rois). This holiday is celebrated every year on January 6th and tradition states that this is the day that the three wise men came to Bethlehem, to honor the baby Jesus. A long running tradition in France is to bake a cake, and insert a bean (fève) inside the cake. The person who finds the bean in his or her slice, is king for the day. More recently, this "bean" has been replaced by a ceramic or porcelain figure. This tradition has been commercialized, and there is a very wide assortment of porcelain and gold figures that are made for the Epiphany. They go by several names, King Cake figures, Epiphany figures, or "Fèves". The sets can contain from 6 to 12 figures. Examples of these are Asterix, Babar, Toy Story, Lady and the Tramp, Looney Tunes, Horse Racing, Nativity, Red Riding Hood etc. The fèves are relatively small at one inch or less in size!

Jules Verne, 2002 (issue de la série "AMIENS") Size - 3cm x 2cm

Jules Verne, set of 9
The Jules Verne set, made of porcelain, has been in production
for a number of years, and contains 9 figurines.

Jules Verne Bust
Albatross (from Master of the World)	Balloon (possibly from Five Weeks in a Balloon)
Captain Hatteras	Captain Nemo (from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
Lune (the Moon)	Michael Strogoff
Moon Capsule (from From the Earth to the Moon)	Nautilus

Book Fèves

There is a Jules Verne Hetzel edition, that is part of a "rare book book fèves set". I am not certain if it is possible to read the title of the book or not....

Here is the specific fèves and then an image of all the books.

Anniversary Fèves #1 - preseries (2004/2005)

- La Maison Jules Verne
- Buste Jules Verne
- Livre, De la Terre a la Lune
- Jules Verne
- Jules Verne
- Livre, Hetzel au Deux Elephants
- Le Great Eastern, 1867
- Jules Verne, caricature

(image by Faboland.com,
from whom I bought this set)

Anniversary Fèves #2a - preseries (2004/2005)

- Fogg & Aouda
- Michel Strogoff
- From the Earth to the Moon
- From the Earth to the Moon
- 20,000 Leagues
- Five Weeks in a Balloon
- Ferguson, Five Weeks in a Balloon
- Nautilus
- Michael Strogoff
- Journey to the Center of the Earth

(image by Faboland.com,
from whom I bought this set)

Anniversary Fèves #2b (2004/2005)
same characters as #2a, but not as detailed

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