Fruit dish (part of a service)
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
H. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.); W. 8 1/4 in. (21.0 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
37.20.181
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate fruit dish, crafted in 1772 by the Sèvres Manufactory with decoration attributed to Nicolas Catrice, exemplifies the of 18th-century French porcelain artistry. Produced at the royal factory in Sèvres near Versailles, it forms part of a larger service, likely intended for aristocratic dining tables. Measuring just 1 1/2 inches high and 1/4 inches wide, its hard-paste porcelain body—fired at high temperatures for exceptional durability and translucency—rivaled the finest Chinese imports, a technological triumph that elevated European ceramics to luxury status. Sèvres porcelain fl...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Nicolas Catrice · 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...