Potpourri vase (pot-pourri à jour)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Height: 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
French, Vincennes
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1976
Accession Number
1976.155.156
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite potpourri vase, crafted in 1754 by theennes Manufactory with modeling attributed to Louis-Jean Théven (père) and possibly by Jean-Claude Dupless, exemplifies the pinnacle of mid-18th-century French porcelain artistry. Standing at just 7 3/8 inches tall, this soft-paste porcelain vessel—known as a *pot-pourri à jour* its pierced, openwork lid that allowed fragrant potpourri scents to waft through—was designed for the opulent interiors of Louis XV's court. Soft-paste porcelain, a French innovation blending clay, glass frit, and white ash, offered a creamy translucency and fine det...