Plate (Assiette à palmes) (1 of 102) (part of a service)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
H. 1 in. (2.5 cm.); Diam. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 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
37.20.145
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite plate, titled *Assiette à palmes* and one of 102 pieces a grand service, hails from the renowned Sèvres Manuf in France, crafted in 1772 under the patronage of King Louis XV. Produced by the royal porcelain factory at Sèvres, it exemplifies the height of 18th-century French luxury ceramics, where such services were commissioned for aristocratic dining and diplomatic gifts. Painter Jean-Baptiste Tandart to its delicate decoration, featuring lush garlands and flowers that evoke the opulent natural motifs of the transitioning Rococo-to-Neoclassical style. Made from soft-paste porc...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Jean-Baptiste Tandart · 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...