Bowl with cover (écuelle) and tray
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height (écuelle [.149a, b]): 4 in. (10.2 cm); Width (tray [.150]): 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
French, Sèvres
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of R. Thornton Wilson, in memory of Florence Ellsworth Wilson, 1950
Accession Number
50.211.149a, b, .150
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant *Bowl with cover (éc) and tray*, crafted the renowned Sèvres Manuf in 1764, exemplifies the pinnacle of French porcelain artistry during the Louis XV era. Produced at the royal factory in Sèvres, near Versailles, this soft-paste porcelain set—standing just 4 inches tall for the lidded bowl and featuring a 7⅛-inch-wide tray—was designed for intimate dining rituals among the aristocracy. The écuelle, a small covered bowl traditionally used for soups or porridges, paired with its matching tray, reflects the opulent tableware that graced royal banquets and noble households. Sèvres' m...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory · 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...