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
37.20.137
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant plate, titled *Assiette à palmes and one of 102 pieces in a grand service, hails from the renowned Svres Manufactory in, created in 1780. just 1 inch high and nearly 10 inches in diameter, it's crafted from soft-paste porcelain prized French innovation that allowed for delicate translucency and intricate molding before the widespread adoption of harder Chinese-style paste. Produced at the royal factory near Versailles, such services were symbols of opulence, adorning the tables of aristocracy during the late Louis XVI era. The plate's decoration bursts with vibrant motifs of frui...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory · 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...