Plate (assiette à palmes) (1 of 102) (part of a service)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 9 5/8 in. (24.4 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
37.20.56
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite plate, titled *Assiette à palmes (one of 102 pieces in a grand service), hails from the renowned Sèvres Manufactory France, crafted in 1780. under the expertise of decorators Guillaume Noël and François-Marie Barrat, it exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century European porcelain. With a diameter of 9 5/8 inches (24.4 cm), its scalloped "palme" (palm leaf) edges and delicate floral motifs—evident in its tagging—reflect the opulent tableware favored by French aristocracy on the eve of the Revolution. Made from soft-paste porcelain, a Sèvres specialty blending clay with glass frit...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Guillaume Noël|François-Marie Barrat · 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...