Liqueur bottle cooler (Seau à liqueur) (part of a service)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
H. 4 5/8 in. (11.7 cm.); W. 5 1/2 in. (14.0 cm.); L. 12 1/8 in. (30.8 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
37.20.113a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant liqueur bottle cooler, known as a *seau à liqueur*, was created in 2 by the renowned Sèvres Manufactory under the direction of painter Jean-Nicolas Le Bel. Crafted from soft-paste porcelain, the piece formed part of a larger dining service designed for aristocratic French households. Its graceful oval form and refined proportions reflect the sophisticated taste of the late Louis XV period, when such objects combined utility with opulent display on the dinner table. Sèvres porcelain held a special status in 18th-century France, produced under royal patronage and celebrated across ...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Jean-Nicolas Le Bel · 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...