Bottle cooler (seau à bouteille) (part of a service)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Overall: 7 1/8 × 7 3/4 × 10 in. (18.1 × 19.7 × 25.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
French, Sèvres
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Emma T. Gary, 1934
Accession Number
37.20.32
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant bottle cooler, or *seau à bouteille*, crafted in 1783 by the renowned Sèvres Manuf, exemplifies the pinnacle of French porcelain artistry during the late Ancien Régime. Produced part of a grand dinner service, this soft-paste porcelain vesselmeasuring 7 1/8 × 7 3/4 × 10 inches—was designed to chill wine bottles at aristocratic banquets. Its delicate form, adorned with lush motifs of fruits and flowers, reflects the opulent tastes of Louis XVI's court, where Sèvres porcelain was a symbol of royal prestige and technical mastery. Sèvres, the official French royal manufactory since 1...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Jacques-François Micaud|Michel-Barnabé Chauvaux · 1740–present
The Sèvres Manufactory, one of Europe's premier porcelain producers, was established in 1740 as the Manufacture de Vincennes under the patronage of Queen Marie Leszczyńska, who sought to rival Meissen and Chantilly porcelains with French soft-paste innovations. Initially a private venture, it relocated to Sèvres in 1756 in a purpose-built facility designed by architect Laurent Lindet near Madame d...