Saucer (one of nine) (part of a service)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 5 1/4 in. (13.3 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
37.20.29
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate saucer, one of nine from a larger porcelain service crafted in 1786 at the renowned Sèvres Manactory near Paris, exemplifies the height of French luxury ceramics during the late Ancien Régime. under the patronage of Louis XVI, Sèvres porcelain was a symbol of royal opulence, blending technical innovation with exquisite artistry. Decorated by skilled enamelists Cyprien-Julien Hire de Choisy and-Gabriel Girard, features intricate floral motifs—likely hand-painted in vibrant enamels and accented with gilding—that evoke the Rococo elegance transitioning toward Neoclassicism. Made fr...
About the Artist
Sèvres Manufactory|Cyprien-Julien Hirel de Choisy|Etienne-Gabriel Girard · 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...