Cup (gobelet litron) (one of nine) (part of a service)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
2 1/2 × 2 1/2 in. (6.4 × 6.4 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
37.20.20
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Cup (gobelet litron)*, one of nine from a luxurious service, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century French porcelain at the Sèvresufactory. Produced in 1786 during the lavish final years of Louis XVI's, it measures just 2½ × 2½ inches, perfect for intimate gatherings among the elite. The Sèvres factory, a royal enterprise near Versailles, was renowned worldwide for its soft-paste—a fine, creamy material developed in the 18th century that rivaled Chinese hard-paste imports in translucency and elegance. Adorned with floral motifs by master painters Cyprien-Julien Hirel de Chois...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Cyprien-Julien Hirel de Choisy|Etienne-Gabriel Girard · 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...