Teapot
1756-62 (made), 1737 (made)
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The present teapot was part of one of the most lavish royal gifts of the eighteenth-century: a magnificent tea and chocolate porcelain service, which included over 40 pieces and was presented in 1737 by Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, to Maria Leszczyńska, wife of Louis XV, King of France. Such a gesture probably intended to improve diplomatic relations between Saxony and the French Court.
Made of Meissen porcelain, this teapot was later mounted by a leading Parisian goldsmith. It prominently carries the arms of France and Poland and is decorated with harbour scenes, like all the surviving pieces of the service. Its prestigious provenance appealed to Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde, who formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Sir Arthur donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Made of Meissen porcelain, this teapot was later mounted by a leading Parisian goldsmith. It prominently carries the arms of France and Poland and is decorated with harbour scenes, like all the surviving pieces of the service. Its prestigious provenance appealed to Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde, who formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Sir Arthur donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain and engraved silver-gilt |
| Brief description | Meissen teapot and cover, silver-gilt and porcelain, Eloy Brichard, 1747. |
| Physical description | Porcelain teapot and cover made by the Meissen porcelain factory in silver-gilt mounts. Royal armorial teapot and cover with the Arms of France and Poland, painted in the manner of B.G. Hauer: with a continuous harbour scene; merchants camping on quaysides among barrels and packages; figures unloading a galleon before distant buildings; and shipping. Each side of the body has the crowned arms. Wishbone handle with shell thumbpiece and bird's head spout are silver-gilt, the cover similarly decorated with pine-cone finial (restoration to tip of spout, very minor rubbing to gilding). |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | From the service presented by Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony to Maria Leszczynska, Queen of France possibly in 1737. Maria Leszynska (1707-1768) was married to Louis XV of France in 1725 and the daughter of the Polish monarch King Stanislaus Leszczynski - the chief rival of Augustus the Strong and his successor August III for the throne of Poland. Provenance Acquired by Arthur Gilbert from S.J. Phillips Ltd, London, 1994. |
| Production | Mounts: Paris decharge mark of Eloy Brichard, 1756-62; porcelain: Meissen porcelain factory, 1737 |
| Summary | The present teapot was part of one of the most lavish royal gifts of the eighteenth-century: a magnificent tea and chocolate porcelain service, which included over 40 pieces and was presented in 1737 by Augustus III, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, to Maria Leszczyńska, wife of Louis XV, King of France. Such a gesture probably intended to improve diplomatic relations between Saxony and the French Court. Made of Meissen porcelain, this teapot was later mounted by a leading Parisian goldsmith. It prominently carries the arms of France and Poland and is decorated with harbour scenes, like all the surviving pieces of the service. Its prestigious provenance appealed to Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde, who formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Sir Arthur donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.875-2008 |
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| Record created | September 4, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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