Jardinière with chickens

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, French ceramics flourished as decorative arts blended functionality with sculptural artistry, and this *Jardinière with Chickens* (ca. 1880) exemplifies that trend. Produced by the renowned Haviland & Co.—a Paris-based firm celebrated for its Limoges porcelain modeled by sculptor Philibert Léon Couturier, the stoneware piece served as an elegant plant stand. Measuring nearly 30 inches wide, its robust form features lively, naturalistic chickens strutting across the surface, capturing the animalier style's emphasis on anatomical precision and everyday subjects. Stoneware, fired at high temperatures for durability and a matte finish, allowed for larger-scale works like this jardinière, ideal for grand interiors of the Third Republic era. Couturier's contributions highlight the era's fascination with realistic animal motifs, bridging fine art sculpture and practical pottery. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department, it reflects bourgeois tastes for whimsical yet sophisticated home furnishings. A gift from the Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection in 2013, this charming vessel invites visitors to appreciate how 1880s French designers transformed utilitarian objects into lively vignettes of rural life.